Powerful 9/11 memorial unveiled outside Capital Area Red Cross HQ

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The solemn sound of a ringing bell echoed across the Capital Area Red Cross parking lot Monday morning.

Mike Terhune was the one ringing the bell. It was just one feature of an impressive 9/11 memorial now open to the public in Tallahassee. Terhune and his organization Team Guardian spearheaded the years-long effort to build the tribute to the fallen.

He teamed up with the Red Cross and Leon County to make sure those in the area didn’t need to travel to New York, the Pentagon or Shanksville, Pa. to pay homage to those who died.

The centerpiece of the memorial is a steel beam from the South Tower, positioned to form a sundial. The sun casts a shadow corresponding with placards positioned at specific times of day, matching the tragic events that unfolded on Sept. 11, 2001.

Sharon Carraway is the Executive Director of the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. She said it was an honor for the Red Cross to host the memorial.

“We’re real proud it finally came to fruition and so many people were helpful in donating their time and their resources to make it happen,” she said. “So it’s just a great addition to the city and the county.”

The memorial also features a buried time capsule containing the dust still on the beam when it was obtained. Carraway said it also includes the DNA of those who perished.

“We hope a lot of people will come and look at it, read about it. If they haven’t been to the 9/11 memorial in New York, this is the next best thing, because it really tells the story of what happened that day,” she said.

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