Very few Wantagh High School juniors have visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and for others it was their first time visiting on March 28. However, what each student had in common with one another was that none of them were alive to experience the horrific events of September 11, 2001. A portion of the proceeds from the inaugural 9/11 Memorial 5K held last September helped offset the costs to students for this annual field trip making sure they learn through oral histories and artifacts of the day that changed America.

“We are incredibly proud that our students had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, thanks to the hard work of the Wantagh School District 9/11 Committee and the success of the first-ever Wantagh Warrior 9/11 Memorial 5K presented by the Gary Sinise Foundation,” says Dr. Guzzone, Wantagh High School Principal. “This experience allowed them to honor the lives lost, deepen their understanding of history, and reflect on the resilience of our nation. It was truly inspiring to see our community come together to make this meaningful trip possible.”

Gathering around the memorial pools, students learned that the names placed beside one another were not alphabetical but based on the relationships they had while working in the towers. The guided tour continued inside where they saw firsthand many of the artifacts once housed inside of the Twin Towers along with the structural impact the building endured. Ryan Tullo, junior at Wantagh High School says, “I think it’s very important to continue telling the story about 9/11 to others because I find it interesting that people went through different things, but it was the same experience.”

Noah Rauch, Senior Vice President of Education & Public Programs welcomed the students and chaperones before the viewing of The Urgency of 9/11 followed by a Q&A session. Lt. John Breen, a recently retired FDNY Firefighter, shared his personal story as a 9/11 first responder while students and chaperones listened closely to how he and other firefighters narrowly missed being crushed by falling debris while surveying the Marriot Hotel which sat between the Twin Towers as they fell.

“My family discusses 9/11 when it comes up each year as my mom was a few buildings down from where the attack actually happened, and my dad was a part of DSNY,” says Madison Rodriguez, junior at Wantagh High School. “He worked on the pile for a few months after 9/11 actually occurred.”

The 2025 Wantagh Warrior 9/11 Memorial 5K Run is scheduled for Sunday, September 14 beginning and ending at Wantagh High School. Special military, first responder, and student rates are available.

For race, volunteer, donation, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the www.wantaghschools.org/ww911m5krun or the 9/11 Committee at wsd9-11commitee@wantaghschools.org. For more information on the Gary Sinise Foundation, please visit The Gary Sinise Foundation Website.