NEWBERRY — To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, while spotlighting the critical role that Newberry’s city and county first responders play in keeping us safe, The Newberry Museum will be displaying an impactful outreach exhibit during the month of September. This outreach and community-based recognition will culminate in a 9/11 day of remembrance and recognition from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 11.
The outreach exhibit, on display from September 1 to October 9, will be located by the museum’s “Reflecting Our Appreciation” wall of recognition. It will feature an inclusive set of mannequins, designed to reflect the diverse population of our first responder staff. These mannequins will be dressed in uniforms from the Newberry County Sheriff’s Department, City of Newberry Police Department, the Newberry Fire Department, and EMT and hazmat workers from Newberry County Emergency Services.
In addition to the mannequins, the museum will display photographs and information relating to each first responder team in the city and county. This will include information like founding dates and accomplishments, as well as accolades and awards earned by each unit. The museum will also be displaying a PowerPoint presentation alongside the mannequins and photo display, which will highlight photos and information about the officers and firefighters from Newberry who died in the line of duty.
On the day of September 11, the museum will be offering a variety of activities and displays to acknowledge the key help that first responders in the nation offered in the face of tragedy. Parked on the stretch of Friend Street from College to Caldwell, in front of the museum, will be a variety of vehicles, from the Sheriff Department’s Eagle Car, which highlights the names of the fallen, to the Fire Department’s antique truck and a hook and ladder truck with a raised American flag, and more.
The museum invites attendees to visit 1300 Friend Street, Newberry, watch the video on display that details the events of 9/11, and share their memories of that day, while also viewing the first responder exhibit and interacting with the impressive equipment on display as they appreciate the offerings of City of Newberry and Newberry County first responders.
“The Newberry Museum would like to thank Mayor Foster Senn, Chief Kevin Goodman and Officer Mike Hawkins, Sheriff Lee Foster, Fire Chief Keith Minnick, and Emergency Services Coordinator Tommy Long for working with us in order to make this possible. We hope you will come out on Saturday, September 11, to remember the fallen, and take time to salute our first responders who answer the call to action on a daily basis to keep us safe,” said Sheridan Murray, executive director of the Newberry Museum.