Students Remember 9/11

Students at the J. Harley Bonds Career Center commemorated one of the most devastating days in American history last week.

Two ceremonies were held at the career center in remembrance of the victims of September 11.

Brandon Moore served as emcee of the afternoon program. Moore is a first responder.

Kelsey Moser and Rachel Lee played “Amazing Grace” during the ceremony.

Garrett Gainy played “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”

At the end of the afternoon ceremony, a tree was planted in remembrance of those who died on September 11, 2001. A tree was also planted at the conclusion of the morning ceremony.

The tree-plantings represent a revived tradition at the career center.

Health Science Instructor Lisa Wofford said in 2002 the career center began planting trees to commemorate September 11, 2001.

“We planted those trees every year after September 11 occurred in '01,” Wofford said. “A few years ago, we kind of forgot. The September 11 day came and went and it came and went the next year. We're trying to never forget what happened on that day. We're going to start that tradition again of planting a tree.”

Wofford said

Building Construction Instructor Scot Thompson said fundraising efforts are still underway to create a permanent September 11 memorial at the career center. The trees planted on the annual September 11 ceremonies will surround the memorial.

“When our memorial is finished, it'll be something that you can come to and your kids and your grandkids and the community will share for a lifetime,” Wofford said.

The purpose of the ceremonies and of the planned permanent memorial is to help the community “remember not to forget.”

“A year and a half ago, the Health Science students came to us and asked about 9/11, what are we doing?” Thompson said. “They wanted something more permanent. It was led by the kids' idea, so that we don't forget. This allows us to remember each and every day when we look it. It's not just a once a year thing.”

Lowe's is the largest funding source of the project currently, awarding $4,700 toward the memorial.

Thompson estimates the project still needs about $12,000. The memorial's estimated cost is $30,000.

“We're waiting on the drawings to come back from the architect, so it could draw the cost up,” he said. “Originally, it started out a little simpler, but then as it evolved, more detail was added.”

The memorial plan originally included a fountain.

“That's a lot to maintain,” Thompson said. “We tried to keep this as clean as we could with minimal work to maintain.”

Steel I beams will represent the Twin Towers in New York City.

The pentagon-shaped flower bed will represented the victims of the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The garden center of the Pentagon represents the field in Pennsylvania where United Flight 93 crashed.

“The steel I beams, our welding students will cut slots in them, 2,000-something slots,” Thompson said. “That represents the loss of life at the Twin Towers.”

The pentagon's garden's walls will be eighteen inches tall, allowing the walls to function as benches.

“Embedded in the brick work will be 184 tiles, to represent the loss of life at the Pentagon,” Thompson said. “Inside the pentagon will be a field, just like a farmer's field. There's going to be something to represent the loss of life on Flight 93.”

The project is bringing the Bonds Career Center community together. Student Organizations taking part in the project include SkillsUSA, HOSA and FFA.

“It's after hours, it's volunteer work,” Thompson said. “It strengthens our students' community involvement, community service, and hopefully will teach them that giving back is a necessity of community. I think sometime this younger generation has forgot that because it's a 'gimme, gimme, gimme' all the time. We forget sometimes we need to give back. This is a great opportunity for our students for that.”

The project is also a chance for students to learn.

“Their opportunity to build it also will hone their skills,” Thompson said. “It gets a variety of classes involved, welding, building construction, horticulture. We'll try to get everybody involved that we can.”

The memorial will be dedicated on September 11, 2014.

“That's our goal,” Thompson said.

Donors will be recognized with plaques.

To help raise funds, officials are selling sections of the old Greer High School gym floor to GHS alumni.

“You buy a section of the floor, it tells the year that you graduated from Greer High School,” Thompson said. “It's pretty neat.”

The memorial “really impacts more than Greer,” Thompson said.

“We have five schools that feed us,” he said. “Those communities will also benefit from this.”

The memorial will also be used as an outdoor classroom.