JJC to Host 12th Annual 9/11 Tribute

Joliet Junior College will host its 12th annual Tribute to 9/11 to honor survivors, first responders and those who lost their lives in the 2001 terrorist attacks. 

The ceremony starts at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at the Alumni Bell on Main Campus, followed by refreshments in the Cafeteria at 9 a.m. Main Campus is located at 1215 Houbolt Road in Joliet.

All first responders, veterans, families, friends and the public are invited to attend the memorial.

The event begins as the Patriot Guard Riders come onto campus. The Joliet Police Department Color Guard will then present the colors while the JJC Police Department lowers the flag to half-staff. That’s followed by a 21-gun salute from The Will County Sheriff’s Rifle Team. The ceremony will conclude with a tolling of the bell and TAPS, performed by the Joliet Fire Department Pipes and Drums.

Pete Comanda, chief of police at JJC, said that for him and fellow emergency officials, 9/11 hit close to home. 

“For those of us who lived through September 11, it was a life-changing event much like Pearl Harbor was in its day,” Comanda said. “For those in law enforcement and the fire service, seeing the number of fellow police officers and firefighters who gave their lives to save others made the event even more personal.”  

The tribute began in 2006 at the request of then JJC President Gena Proulx as a way for the campus to remember 9/11. 

Today, it’s sponsored by the JJC Police Department, the Office of Student Activities and the Environmental Health and Safety Department. 

“For me, it’s an event that changed our world and one that will forever be etched in our minds because of the damage done and lives lost,” said Director of Student Activities Pam Dilday. “We use the time to honor our first responders and remember those who were lost in the event.”

For media inquiries, contact Communications and Media Coordinator Scott Harvey at 815-280-2844 or sharvey@jjc.edu.