9/11 at 25: Sarasota Community Unites in Remembrance, Service and Hope
AMERICA250 commemoration at Sarasota National Cemetery honors those lost, the survivors who carried on and the first responders who answered the call.
SARASOTA, Fla. — Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Sarasota will gather to remember the lives lost, honor the survivors and recognize the first responders, military personnel, clergy and community leaders who continue to carry the memory of that day.
The Sarasota 25-Year Commemoration of September 11, presented as part of AMERICA250, will take place Friday, September 11, from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery, 9820 State Road 72, Sarasota.
Hosted by the Sarasota Ministerial Association in collaboration with the Diocese of Venice and Sarasota County Emergency Services, the remembrance service will bring together community members of all ages and backgrounds.
Some attendees will remember exactly where they were when the attacks occurred. Others—particularly younger generations—were born after September 11 and know the tragedy primarily through the stories of their families, teachers, first responders and military veterans.
This commemoration offers both groups an opportunity to stand together.
Through personal testimonies, a First Responder Rite of Passage, music and prayer, the program will reflect on the courage, sacrifice and unity that emerged from one of the most consequential days in American history.
The service will honor those who lost their lives on September 11, as well as the survivors, families and communities forever changed by the attacks.
A procession of clergy and distinguished 9/11 presenters will open the program. Participants and invited guests will include:
- Congressman Greg Steube
- Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice
- Sheriff Kurt Hoffman
- Local police and fire chiefs
- Sarasota County commissioners
- School Board members
- Members of the clergy
- Military officers and veterans
- The Ensemble of First United Methodist Church
Pastor Danny Preston, president of Newtown Community Ministries United and pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, will participate in the AMERICA250 unity statements included in the commemoration.
The unity statements are intended to emphasize the shared responsibility of Americans to remember the past while strengthening the bonds that connect communities today.
Music will be performed by the Ensemble of First United Methodist Church, adding a spirited and uplifting element to the solemn service.
Organizers are inviting residents, families, students, veterans, first responders, faith communities and visitors to attend.
The event is more than a historical observance. It is an opportunity for Sarasota to say, together, that the victims will not be forgotten, the survivors will not be overlooked and the values of courage, service, compassion and unity remain important to future generations.
Event Information
What: Sarasota’s 25-Year Commemoration of September 11 — AMERICA250
When: Friday, September 11, 2026, from 5–6:15 p.m.
Where: Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery
Address: 9820 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL 34241
Presented by: Sarasota Ministerial Association, Diocese of Venice and Sarasota County Emergency Services
Twenty-five years later, Sarasota remembers—not only where the nation has been, but also the kind of community it hopes to remain: compassionate, courageous and united.
