By Mary Weston
Oroville Mercury Register
OROVILLE, Calif. — This year two events in Oroville will mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
A Freedom Walk will start at 10 a.m. Saturday in Bedrock Park, and the Oroville Partnership of Pastors will thank local law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders with a dinner for them and their families 4-8:30 p.m.
The Oroville Freedom Walk is scheduled in conjunction with the Operation Homefront walks nationwide.
On Sept. 11, Operation Homefront chapters around the nation pause to remember those who died in the terrorist attack nine years ago, said Peter Gibson, who helped organize a walk in Oroville.
The organization honors the memories of the innocent civilians who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and in the field in Pennsylvania,” according to a press release by Gibson.
“We also pause to honor emergency officials who keep us safe every day,” he said. “They are the police, fire and emergency medical personnel who responded that fateful day, and who at great sacrifice labored long and hard to search for the survivors or remains of those who had fallen.”
Registration for the walk in Bedrock Park starts at 9 a.m. The walk begins at 10 a.m. and runs along the Feather River to an area behind Veterans Memorial Hall.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 10 and under. The first 50 people who register will get T-shirts.
Proceeds go to Operation Homefront, which helps families of people in the military with a variety of needs from housing to laptop computers so they can communicate with their families.
Stephanie Hayden will sing the National Anthem, and the Beale Air Force Base Honor Guard will raise the flag.
Food and sodas will be available to buy.
“The walk is an opportunity to think about our freedom and to honor our veterans past and present,” Gibson said.
Registration applications are also available at the Hope Center, 1950 Kitrick Ave.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, the Oroville Partnership of Pastors start serving dinner for first responders and their families at the Southside Community Center, 2959 Lower Wyandotte Road.
First responders and their families can drop by the center for a tri-tip and chicken meal until 8:30 p.m.
The pastors’ group includes pastors and church members from about 10 local churches that pray together and work on projects to benefit the community, including Building Bridges of Friendship Day, a community workday, said Reverend John Craig of the Grace Baptist Church.
Last year, was the first “When We Run Out You Run In” dinner.
This year, they expect up to 150 law enforcement, fire personnel, first responders and their families to attend. The 12 pastors in the group will serve dinner.
“We believe that Sept. 11 showed the bravery and sacrifice of the people who run into a disaster when we run away,” Craig said.
Craig said the dinner is a way to take the day of remembrance and mourning and turn it into a celebration for local heroes.
Copyright 2010 Oroville Mercury Register