August 27, 2009 Nonprofit Groups Announce Event in New York to Mark September 11 Several nonprofit groups joined with the Obama administration today to
announce they are planning a major event in New York to mark the first time September 11, the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, will be a federally designated National Day of Service and Remembrance. The organizers, who described the event at a news conference in New York, said it will pay tribute to victims of the attacks as well as honor people who have participated in the United We Serve summer-volunteer program started by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. They have invited New York Gov. David A. Paterson and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to speak and have lined up participants including Gary Sinise, an actor and film director, Jimmy Fallon, the late-night talk-show host and musical performers including Anjulie, Gavin DeGraw, the Harlem Boys and Girls Choir, and the Roots. MyGoodDeed also unveiled a new that provides space for individuals and groups to post the good deeds or volunteer activities they plan to perform on September 11.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed into law last spring, establishes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.