Families tell stories of loved ones lost to terror

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 13, 2006

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation to announce the first major collaborative arrangement for the Memorial Museum.

It will allow the Memorial Museum to house the reminiscences of family members and others most directly affected by the September 11th attacks who have recorded their stories as part of the StoryCorps project.

These recordings enable the Memorial Museum to honor those who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, and February 26, 1993, through the personal stories and reminiscences of those closest to them.

The WTC Memorial Museum and StoryCorps jointly hope to collect at least one recording for each of the 2,979 lives lost in the attacks, preferably from family members, close friends, or colleagues, as well as the stories of survivors and rescue workers.

"It is vital that we remember the individual lives of those we lost on that terrible morning, as well those we lost during the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993," said Mayor Bloomberg. "StoryCorps will provide an opportunity for family and friends to share memories of their loved ones and ensure that their stories will be heard and remembered for generations to come."

StoryCorps-Lower Manhattan is open to the general public, with special slots reserved for September 11th families, survivors, and rescue workers.

To participate in the StoryCorps 9/11 Initiative, family members, rescue workers and survivors can call a special reservation number: 646-723-7027. Reservations from the general public for a 40-minute StoryCorps session can be made at http:// www.storycorps.net/ or by calling 800-850-4406.

To date StoryCorps has recorded 157 interviews remembering those who lost their lives on September 11th, and an additional 153 sessions with rescue workers, survivors and others most directly impacted by the events of that day.