America responds to Sept. 11 attacks

In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the country pulled together as it rarely has. Nationwide, cities, counties and private businesses showed their concern and support in unique ways.

Bloomburg, Pa., Mayor Mary Lenzini Howe coordinated an effort to donate pet food and supplies for the rescue dogs working at the World Trade Center site. Employees of Heinz Pet Products, located just outside Bloomburg, arranged the shipment (by Penn State Seed, a local horticultural supplies company).

Newark, N.J., held an ecumenical service to honor police, firefighters and emergency medical workers who went to New York to assist in rescue efforts. City employees also manned triage sites in Hoboken, Jersey City and at Newark’s Penn Station. Three Newark residents died in the attack.

Arvada, Colo., employees donated $5,620 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and sent letters of condolence to New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the governors of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Grainger, a Chicago-based provider of maintenance, repair and operating supplies, donated $1 million in cash and emergency supplies to aid rescue and recovery teams in New York. The company kept its office — situated two miles from Ground Zero — open 24 hours a day to coordinate the provision of supplies.

Washington County (Wis.) supervisors sponsored a rally and invited residents to make donations to the New York Firefighters, American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The county collected $2,193.

AT&T, the New York-based telecommunications giant, donated $10 million in cash and provided free phone service for emergency workers at the site.

UPS, the Atlanta-based freight carrier, provided $5 million in disaster relief assistance — $2 million in cash and $3 million in in-kind logistical and transportation services.

Johnston, R.I., collected 3,500 teddy bears for New York children. The town’s firefighters collected more than $7,000 in two hours for the families of the 343 dead New York firefighters.

Intergraph, a Huntsville, Ala.-based provider of mapping and GIS services and software, provided software and personnel to help transit departments in New York and New Jersey integrate map data and create new maps in response to the attack.

Ocoee, Fla., city employees helped sell patriotic t-shirts designed and produced by a local family business. Sale of the shirts raised more than $30,000 for the Red Cross. Additionally, the city’s fire department held a boot drive that raised more than $36,000.

Atlanta raised $250,000 for the Red Cross and various New York and Washington, D.C., charities at a “unity celebration” at the city’s Centennial Park. The celebration, hosted by television talk show host Montel Williams, featured speakers and live music.

Santa Barbara County, Calif., initiated a two-pay-period payroll deduction that allowed employees to make any size donation to disaster relief in New York. The money will be directed to families of public employees who lost their lives.

Hayward, Calif., in collaboration with local private, non-profit and faith-based organizations, held “Hayward, A Community of Unity.” The event was aimed at preventing hate activities directed at the city’s Muslim and Middle Eastern residents and at informing people about how best to help the victims of the attack.

Akron, Ohio, and the local Knight Ridder newspaper, partnered in a fund-raising drive that netted more than $420,000 to purchase a new fire truck for the FDNY. The drive was so successful that the city may have enough money to throw in a police cruiser and/or an emergency services vehicle.

Blount County, Tenn., held a memorial service on the steps of the courthouse. County Sheriff’s Office chaplains led the service, which involved personnel from the sheriff’s office and city police, as well as firefighters and ambulance and rescue staff. During the service, emergency personnel laid their hats on the steps of the courthouse as bagpipers played “Amazing Grace.”

Dublin, Ohio, is selling patriotic t-shirts and donating the proceeds to the New York Firefighter’s 9-1-1 Disaster Relief Fund.

Fort Myers, Fla., resident Cee Cee Lyles was a flight attendant on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. Her husband, Lorne, had started a new job with the Fort Myers Police Department last January. Because he was so new to the job, he had little vacation time accrued. Mayor Jim Humphrey suggested that employees donate accrued vacation time to Officer Lyles and his family (the couple had four children) at the donating employee’s rate of pay. The city also has set up jugs in the city hall cafeteria and has encouraged employees to use dollars to pay for their lunches each day and put the change in the jugs. The change will be donated to charities assisting the victims. In addition, Fort Myers firefighters Gary Lindbergh, commander of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team; Scott Stine and Mike Gorgas helped with rescue efforts at the World Trade Center site.

Flannegan Western, an Emmetsburg, Iowa, manufacturer of road sign maintenance and installation equipment, has announced plans to commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks with the dedication of a sculpture. Originally designed to represent the company’s mission statement, the sculpture was christened “The Family.” The attacks prompted the company to redesign the sculpture, adding two stainless steel columns to symbolize the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Broken concrete, bent and twisted I beams and re-bar around the base will represent the search, rescue and recovery efforts at the site. The sculpture will be renamed “The World Family” and will be dedicated to all who died and their friends and families. A large rock transported from New York will be placed at the base to further signify the events. The project is scheduled to be completed on or before Sept. 1, 2002.