This month, we mark 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The day after that tragedy, both Venice and Sarasota landed in the national spotlight. Suddenly, the world was watching our small Southwest Florida area.
In Venice, Federal agents uncovered that two of the terrorists had trained as pilots right here. Reporters and investigators flooded in, turning life in Venice completely upside-down as they searched for answers.
And while sitting in a classroom in Sarasota, President George W. Bush was quietly informed about the plane hitting the second tower of the World Trade Center and that America was under attack.
Were you in Venice on September 11, 2001? The Venice Division of Historical Resources wants to hear your story. They’ve set up an archive through StoryCorps to capture the voices of residents and what life felt like in Venice after 9/11. Grab a friend, spouse, or grandchild, anyone you want to talk with. There are nine questions ready to guide your conversation and help spark vivid memories.
To join in, just go to StoryCorps online at https://storycorps.org/participate/. You can download the app or use their Web Connect Program there. Set aside some time with your partner. Use the questions at https://archive.storycorps.org/communities/city-of-venice-historical-resources/, record your story and upload the interview later.
StoryCorps believes everyone’s story matters, and they want to help us remember that. Since 2003, they’ve made it possible for over 750,000 people all over the country to record honest conversations from their lives. These recordings go into the U.S. Library of Congress and the StoryCorps online archive, the largest collection of human voices ever gathered anywhere.
And to honor this anniversary, Venice will host a remembrance ceremony at Patriots Park. Join us at 9 a.m. on Friday, September 11, for music and speakers. Police Chief Andy Leisenring and Fire Rescue Chief Frank Giddens will lead the event, and Mayor Nick Pachota will issue a special proclamation for the day.
Everyone’s welcome. Seating’s limited, so bring a chair if you have one. We’ll have cold water on hand.
Patriots Park sits at 800 Venetia Bay Blvd., right off U.S. 41, just north of the intersection with U.S. 41 Bypass North and U.S. 41 Business. The park holds a 2-ton steel beam from the World Trade Center and a piece of rubble from the Pentagon attack, reminders of what we lost and why we remember.
Click here for The Venice Division of Historical Resources.
