LORETTO, Pa. (Sept. 8, 2011) – Sunday Sept. 11, 2011, marks the improbable 10th anniversary of one of our nation's most horrific events.

At Veterans Park in nearby Cresson, Pa., beginning Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and running until 5:30 p.m., a remembrance will be held honoring the innocent victims and first team responders, who had their lives taken as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“Most of us were not injured physically, but mentally we all paid a price for what happened on that day,” Veterans Park caretaker P.J. Sloan said. “We need to keep ourselves vigilant and not forget the memories of those who lost their lives in those attacks.”

Established in 1972, Veterans Park has grown into one of Cresson's premiere family settings. Each year, the park receives upgrades or add-ons from items such as playgrounds, ball fields and basketball courts. In addition to its recreational use, the park also serves as a memorial site for United States military veterans, who provided the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country.

During the Labor Day holiday, the Saint Francis University football team took a break from preparing for a nationally ranked non-conference opponent to honor those victims and first responders. The team, along with Sloan, John Bianconi, Pat Casey and his daughter Shanna, helped place over 3,000 American flags in Veterans Park.

“The park with all 3,000 flags on display is really something to take in,” Sloan said. “That number alone may not seem like a lot, but when you see all of them lined up together, it reminds you of the thousands who perished that September morning.”

The team placed one small flag in the ground for every civilian whose life was unfortunately cut short that fateful day. 543 larger flags were also placed around the park, to represent the first team responders, who put their own lives in peril to save the lives of thousands more.

“Volunteering and giving of yourself is something that is required to be a member of this football team,” head football coach Chris Villarrial said. “No one has forgotten what happened that day and whatever we can do to honor those people we lost, we will do.”

Sunday's memorial will feature the Saint Francis University pep band, as well as singers, who will honor those lost with patriotic music. With the 3,000 flags on display, an open microphone will be available for anyone wishing to share their own 9/11 stories, even for those to just say where they were at that moment ten years ago.

This weekend the Northeast Conference and the NCAA will hold a moment of silence before every collegiate athletic event in honor and remembrance.