- The 9/11 Memorial Light Tribute is officially back on after initial cancelation.
- This initial cancelation brought outrage across the Internet.
- The ceremony will consist of an alternate tribute to keep employees/staff safe amid coronavirus concerns.
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has confirmed that the 9/11 Memorial Light Tribute in NYC will go on as planned. The tribute was off due to COVID-19 concerns, and this decision sparks outrage across the Internet. A rep for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum said that they were concerned about the ongoing pandemic and the health/safety of their employees.
Now, the group will be working on an alternative tribute to pay respects to the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. Many petitions surfaced after the initial decision to cancel the tribute, calling for it to be back on.
The 9/11 light tribute is back on!
NYS will provide health personnel & supervision so that @Sept11Memorial can mount the Tribute in Light safely.
I am glad that we can continue this powerful tribute to those we lost on 9/11 and to the heroism of all New Yorkers.
We will #NeverForget.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 15, 2020
“Those lights brighten up the night sky every year also to remind us of those who sacrificed putting our city back together, after picking up the pieces,” says one petition on change.org. “Those lights need to light up the sky for 9/11/2020!”
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Cuomo’s pledge to help comes just one day after The Tunnel to Towers Foundation spoke up, saying they would stage the light tribute themselves. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is a non-profit honoring military and first responders. They said their tribute would consist of the usual light tribute and a live reading of the names of each victim.
The new decision sparks positive feedback
Frank Siller, chairman and chief executive of the foundation, speaks up about the importance of this memorial tribute. “The twin beams of light that shine over lower Manhattan in silent tribute to those lost on 9/11 are an iconic symbol of hope visibly showing that light will always triumph over darkness,” he says.
Of course, the decision to continue with the light tribute was met with a lot of positive feedback. “Thank You Governor, from those of us who lost family and friends on that Tuesday Morning,” one person replies to Cuomo. Another says, “When I read NYC cancelled this my heart hurt almost as much as it did on 9/11 – 19 years ago – and I was left with many of the same questions – Why? How could this happen?” one user writes in response to Tunnel to Towers. “Thank you for stepping up to make sure we Never Forget. I certainly never will!”