La Quinta holds vigil for 9/11 Anniversary

In the Coachella Valley, people chose to honor and remember by candle light. Thursday night about a hundred people gathered at the La Quinta 9/11 Memorial, made up of steel from the World Trade Center.

La Quinta is the only city in the Coachella Valley to have steel beam from the World Trade Center as part of it’s 9/11 Memorial.

It’s purpose to give people a place to honor and never forget, that is exactly what happened Thursday night.

“We are here to remember 9/11 and when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers,” explained Mia Burr, who was born after the terrorist attack

What started as an eagle scout project for 18-year-old Andrew Davis, turned into a heartfelt masterpiece.

“It’s just incredible for him to do something like this and raise the money with the help of the City of La Quinta. I couldn’t be prouder,” said Andrew’s father Michael Davis.

“It’s bigger than what I imagined,” said Andrea Davis. “It’s really good to see everyone coming into one place to just remember and see how everyone comes together and remembers such a tragic time.”

Andrew’s father was in the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001.

“I was going to stay an extra day. If it did, I was going to be at the World Trade Center,” said Michael Davis.

Now a year later, the steel that once held up two of the most recognizable buildings in the world, is a tribute to all that was sacrificed on and since September 11, 2001.

“Just the idea of being able to go out and touch that thing for me personally having spent so many years going to the Trade Center. It’s special,” said La Quinta resident Chip Miller.

The memorial, one of the few things not touched by this week’s flood waters, stood tall as people lit candles in remembrance.

“There is not one in LA, there is not one in San Francisco, there is not one in Santa Barbra or San Diego there is one here, and that is pretty special,” said Miller.

Miller’s business partner was on Flight 11.

“I read about it in the LA Times. I was devastated, I couldn’t believe it there was her face three days later, it was 9-13 actually. I remember the headline, ‘LA’s First Victims Identified,'” said Miller.

Others who attended, were too young to remember what happened.

“It’s all a blur to me, 9/11, but I know that it has a big impact on our country and it’s really important to remember that day,” said 18-year-old Chelzea Furtado.

“When the Twin Towers crashed down and all of the people that lost their lives that didn’t just affect their families that impacted all of the families and friends and everyone around the whole country and we all felt the loss of those lives. So, I feel that by remembering that day we come back into this togetherness and as a country I feel it’s really important,” said Furtado.

Andrew’s story of bringing the steel beams to La Quinta and the efforts to create the Memorial that stands in Civic Center park are apart of the new 9/11 Memorial in New York.