9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit plans stop
ELKHART — The Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit will arrive in Elkhart with a motorcade on Tuesday, organizers said.
Tours will be available to the public on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is committed to ensuring America never forgets what happened on Sept. 11, 2001. Since 2013, the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit has traveled the country educating Americans about what happened that day.
The 83-foot tractor-trailer transforms into a 1,100 square foot exhibit which features World Trade Center steel, an aluminum façade from the buildings, radio transmissions from first responders, and items found in the rubble after the Twin Towers collapsed.
The exhibit was recently upgraded and expanded with even more artifacts and history, and Elkhart is one of the first cities to experience the upgrades, organizers said. It has been nearly a decade since the exhibit last visited the area.
Tours are conducted by retired New York City firefighters who responded on Sept. 11, 2001. They share their stories of what happened that day and the days after, bringing history to life for those who were born after the attack or are too young to remember it.
Patrick Industries brought the exhibit to Elkhart because of the importance of honoring and remembering the events of Sept. 11.
“Patrick is excited to be partnering with Tunnel to Towers to bring the 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit to Elkhart,” company president Jeff Rodino said. “This powerful tribute will leave a lasting impression, and I am thrilled that Elkhart will be one of the first cities to experience the new exhibit. This moving memorial is an opportunity for our community to reflect, remember and learn.”
Mayor Rod Roberson expressed his appreciation to the company for supporting the visit.
“Patrick Industries has always been such a good corporate citizen of Elkhart,” Roberson said. “We are so grateful to the Patrick team for partnering with Tunnel to Towers to bring this opportunity for education and remembrance to Elkhart.”
The exhibit’s arrival by motorcade starting about 1 p.m. Tuesday will lead from Indiana Toll Road Exit 92 to 240 E. Jackson Blvd., stopping in the northeast parking lot east of Beacon Health and Aquatic Center. An opening ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday. The ceremony will feature a performance of the national anthem by singer-songwriter Julia James, and speeches from the mayor as well as Elkhart Chief Rodney Dale and retired New York Fire Department Lt. Pat Clancy.
The exhibit will be open to the public from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, May 22 and 23.
