Campus Groups Organize Service Event for 9-11

On the evening of 9-11, University of Illinois students will meet to pack meals for a local food bank --- and discuss the lasting impact of the attacks that occurred 13 years ago.

The 9-11 Day of Service is held each year on the Urbana campus --- one of many service events around the country tied to the 9-11 anniversary. U of I senior Caitlyn Taylor is co-president of Interfaith In Action, which co-sponsors the event. She says it’s helped her step out of her comfort zone to talk with people from different backgrounds about issues stemming from 9-11.

"I was a little afraid, y’know, this is 9-11", said Taylor. "This is a day that America is – we’re a little weary to talk about. And I identify as Catholic, and I was sitting there with Muslims talking about a day that we began to view the Muslim faith very differently. And just to realize that OK, wait, I can be friends with these people, and it’s totally OK to have this conversation with them."

The 9-11 Day of Service takes place Thursday evening, Sept. 11th, at the Wesley Foundation building at 1203 W. Green Street, near the Illini Union in Urbana. The campus event is open to the general public as well. Participants are asked to come a little before 6 PM for an event lasting about two hours. Food packages will be delivered to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

Also on Sept. 11th, a morning ceremony in downtown Champaign will remember the victims of 9-11, including police and firefighters who lost their lives rescuing occupants of the World Trade Center towers. The ceremony begins at 8 AM, at the Fire and Police Memorial at West Side Park, at the corner of State and Church Streets. The ceremony will feature Fire and Police honor guards, and brief remarks by Fire and Police Department representatives.

One Champaign-Urbana 9-11 event is not being held this year. The University of Illinois School of Music says they will not be presenting a 9-11 Memorial Concert this year.