Collier County leaders dedicate 9/11 memorial

NAPLES, Fla. — A 9/11 memorial in the works since 2004 officially opened Friday at Fred W. Coyle Freedom Park in Naples.

Dozens looked on as bagpipers played “Amazing Grace” and uniformed service members stood at attention during a solemn dedication ceremony for the approximately $2 million project. The structure, which sat unfinished for years as fundraising efforts stalled, features a 13-foot tall, 40-foot wide granite flag with a reflection pool with fountains made to resemble the Twin Towers.

Two pieces of steel from the Twin Towers, which were leveled in the 2001 attacks, are also a part of the monument.

“This is for them. This is for all those guys that ran in, all those people that helped each other get out,” said Jerry Sanford, a retired New York City firefighter who helped spearhead the project. “It’s for them, not for me. It’s for them.”

Another ceremony to mark the 9/11 anniversary is to take place in front of the memorial at noon Sunday.