9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance

Fact Sheet

About the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance

  • The 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance was federally recognized in 2009 as a national initiative established to create a permanent and positive legacy for those who lost their lives on 9/11. The 9/11 Day Observance encouragespeople to voluntarily support charitable causes, perform good deeds and engage in other service activities in observance of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
  • The 9/11 Day Observance is a day when individuals and groups annually "remember by doing," taking time out to perform good deeds and engage in charitable service in tribute of the victims of 9/11 and all those who rose in service in response to the attacks.
  • It is also a moment of national unity when differences and competitive concerns should be put aside for the day to honor and rekindle the remarkable spirit of unity shared by so many immediately following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
  • The website now enables participants to post and share their planned “I will” tributes, good deeds, and service activities for 9/11. A unique “Service in Memory” feature allows participants to dedicate their tribute activity by name to individual 9/11 victims. A companion Facebook page at facebook.com/911daywill offer similar functionality.

9/11 is an extraordinarily powerful motivator for volunteer engagement.

  • In observance of the 10-year Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, millions of people will participate in the single-largest day of charitable service in American history. Large-scale volunteer service projects will be held in at least 24 major cities, each involving anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 volunteers. Cities include New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis and others. In addition, individuals and groups will perform good deeds and other acts of service in paying tribute to the 9/11 victims.
  • Independent research commissioned in 2010 by MyGoodDeed found that more than 60 percent of Americans today – and 84 percent of those between ages 21-35 – are ready to commemorate 9/11 through acts of charitable service or volunteerism. According to a study conducted by Horizon Research, among those who have participated in the 9/11 initiative in the past, more than half described themselves as new to volunteering.

History

  • 2002. MyGoodDeed (originally One Day’s Pay) was founded by David Paine and Jay Winuk in response to the loss of Jay's brother, Glenn Winuk, during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center Tower to encourage others to pay tribute annually on 9/11 by pledging to perform good deeds.
  • 2002. President George W. Bush declared September 11 "Patriot Day" to honor both the victims and heroes of the September 11 attacks, and highlighted the spirit of service by launching USA Freedom Corps.
  • 2004. Congress unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 473, expressing the sense of Congress that September 11 should be a national day of service and compassion.
  • 2008. President Bush amended the Patriot Day proclamation to specifically include "volunteering" as an appropriate form of remembrance. In 2009, Congress, in a bipartisan, bicameral action, passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which for the first time authorized the president of the United States to formally designate 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
  • 2009.On Sept. 11, 2009, President Barack Obama amended the Patriot Day proclamation to officially and permanently make 9/11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance as requested by Congress and the 9/11 community.
  • 2011. Sept. 11, 2011, marks the 10-year Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In observance of this important and historic milestone, millions of people plan to pay tribute by participating in the single-largest expression of charitable service in American history.

About the Organizers

The 9/11 Day Observance is led by the 9/11 nonprofit MyGoodDeed, which represents the interests of many 9/11 organizations, and was the first group to formally call for September 11 to be designated as a federallyrecognized Day of Service and Remembrance, in partnership with HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation division of Points of Light Institute. Other prominent groups that have joined in collaboration are the 9/11 Memorial, Business Civic Leadership Center of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AARP, The Mission Continues and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Many other leading national service organizations also participate actively in promoting the observance in collaboration with these principal organizations. For more information, go to: or email: .