9/11 Day Leaders Announce Plans For 15th Anniversary Of The September 11, 2001, Attacks

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a new initiative called "Tomorrow Together," announced today in preparation for the upcoming 15^th anniversary of 9/11, the nonprofit, 9/11 Day and a coalition of more than 20 other notable nonprofit organizations will ask Americans and the nation's political leadership to put aside their differences and pledge to work together on a bipartisan basis to help solve some of our country's most pressing societal problems.

Plans for the 15^th anniversary of 9/11 by 9/11 Day are being formally presented today at a public board meeting of the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) in Washington, DC.

"Our goal with 'Tomorrow Together' is to rekindle and reinforce the important lessons of empathy, service and unity that arose from the 9/11 tragedy," said David Paine, president and co-founder of 9/11 Day, "and to encourage all Americans and our leaders to work more closely together again as one nation to address the challenges facing our society."

"As someone who lost a loved one on 9/11, I was truly inspired by the remarkable way our nation came together in the months following the attacks," said Jay S. Winuk, co-founder and executive vice president of 9/11 Day. Winuk's brother, Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney and volunteer firefighter and EMT, died in the line of duty as a rescuer on 9/11. "We owe more than division and discord to those who perished from the attacks and those who served in its aftermath. The anniversary of 9/11 should be a reminder to us all about our common humanity and the opportunity we have to help people and communities in need."

15^th Anniversary Plans Call for Interfaith Service Projects, Lesson Plans That Teach Empathy

The "Tomorrow Together" initiative will include large-scale service projects staged in many cities on September 11, 2016, intended to bring together a diverse community of people to help address hunger in America and other important societal issues.  

In Washington, DC, 9/11 Day plans to work with AARP Foundation and other organizations on September 11 to help pack more than one million meals for at-risk seniors, children, veterans and others. Similar large-scale events promoting the value of diversity are also planned for New York City and in communities around the nation in cooperation with area food banks.

"We are proud to work with AARP Foundation to support such a wonderful intergenerational event that will help address hunger in the metropolitan DC area," Paine said. "AARP has a long history of recognizing and supporting the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and we are honored to assist the Foundation and AARP Create the Good volunteers on such an important and solemn day as the 15^th anniversary of 9/11."

In addition to helping to support interfaith, multi-racial and other diversity service projects, 9/11 Day will also distribute to millions of teachers nationwide free educational service-learning materials that assist in teaching empathy, in collaboration with the Ashoka's Start Empathy Initiative and the National Youth Leadership Council.  

At the college level, The George Washington University, a "Tomorrow Together" leader, will help organize other universities and colleges to participate in 9/11 Day as well. The American Express Corporation, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Holland & Knight LLP and Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund are among the underwriters helping to support "Tomorrow Together" activities.

9/11 Day is also expanding release of recently created television and radio public service messages (PSAs) featuring 14-year-old Hillary O'Neill from Norwalk, CT, one of more than 13,000 children born in the United States on the day of the tragedy, September 11, 2001. In the PSAs, Ms. O'Neill urges the nation to see the anniversary of 9/11 as a day to work together to do good deeds. Grey New York, an award-winning advertising and branding agency, developed the new PSAs for 9/11 Day on a pro bono basis. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) began promoting availability of the new PSAs at its annual broadcaster show in Las Vegas this week, and is making the PSAs available to thousands of television and radio stations nationwide though NAB Spot Center, at https://psa.nab.org/view/#/campaign/9-11-day-of-service/tv-psas/. 

9/11 Day, with the support of many within the 9/11 community, led the effort that officially established the anniversary of September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance under bi-partisan federal law in 2009 that charged CNCS as the federal partners in implementing this annual day of tribute. More than 30 million Americans now observe September 11 each year through charitable service and good deeds, transforming "9/11 Day" into the largest annual day of charitable engagement in America.  

Among the many nonprofits, government agencies, and education organizations that are part of the new "Tomorrow Together" initiative are: Voices for National Service, AARP Foundation, Teach for America, America's Promise, Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality & Equality, Mentor: The National Mentor Partnership, Alliance for Peacebuilding, Repair The World, Catholic Volunteer Network, Points of Light Institute, Service For Peace, Building Bridges Coalition, National Collaboration for Youth, United Way Worldwide, Ashoka's Start Empathy Initiative, National Youth Leadership Council, City Year, Global Peace Foundation, Compassion Games International, The George Washington University, Youth Service America, Corporation for National and Community Service, Save the Children, After School Alliance, National Human Services Assembly and other prominent organizations.

For more information visit 911day.org, or contact: David Paine, [email protected], or 949-233-0050.

SOURCE 9/11 Day

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