Carolina community gathers in remembrance of 9/11
UNC-Chapel Hill memorialized the 17th anniversary of Sept. 11 and the six alumni who died in the attacks with an annual stair run and remembrance ceremony.
On the 17th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Carolina paid homage to the victims during a sunrise stair climb at Kenan Stadium and remembrance ceremony.
“This is a time where we come together in healing and memory,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt.
The commemoration began at 5:40 a.m. with the 9/11 Memorial Run hosted by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Army ROTC, during which participants climbed 2,076 steps in honor of the steps in each of the World Trade Center towers.
Later in the morning, the UNC General Alumni Association hosted a ceremony to honor the six Carolina alumni who lost their lives on Sept. 11. Folt attended the ceremony and placed a flower in a vase for each of the alumni who died.
First-year student Dylan Melisaratos spoke about his uncle, 1979 graduate Christopher Quackenbush, who was among those who lost their lives. Melisaratos said Quackenbush was a generous man who cared for friends, family and strangers alike.
“I’m glad that I’m able to carry on my uncle’s legacy in a community he so valued and loved,” Melisaratos said.
Doug Dibbert, president of the UNC General Alumni Association, offered words of remembrance.
“As we continue to recall how they died, we should also recall and celebrate how they each lived,” he said.
Read more about the UNC alumni lost in 9/11 on the Carolina Alumni Review.
