Huntley women planning 9/11 memorial in Sun City

When two airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center almost 10 years ago, Peg Mulhall of Huntley felt the need to do something.

Although she went to church and prayed after work that day, then went on to send $200 to 9/11-related charities, somehow, she felt it just wasn’t enough.

So almost 10 years later she, along with five of her friends from the Sun City subdivision, are arranging a flag memorial project in which volunteers will plant a flag for each of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks. On Sept. 11, volunteers will place the flags in the grass that surrounds the fountain and amphitheater within Sun City, just off Del Webb Boulevard.

The women also are planning an 8 a.m. ceremony that day that will include color guards, a narrative of the attacks as they happened that morning and prayers for the victims, their families and friends.

“I don’t want anybody to forget this terrible thing,” Mulhall said. “Nothing’s been the same since in this country and we can’t forget why.”

The other women involved in putting the program together are Barbara Soracco, Mary Neigebauer and her daughter Michelle, Catherine Portera and Linda Bahwell.

So far, the group has 50 volunteers from area Boy Scout troops, the high school and the American Legion. They still need help planting the flags and making a grid to make sure the flags are two feet apart from each other.

The hope is to make this an annual event.

Mulhall spent $1,500 of her own money to buy the flags, so the women also are trying to raise money to offset the money she spent. Anything they raise beyond $1,500 will go to the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation.

Portera grew up in the 1950s, a time some might deem calmer and safer. She said she yearns for those times and hopes this celebration will help unite the community.

“I think it’s a good reason to have people come together,” Portera said.

Mulhall has two young grandsons who weren’t around for the terrorist attacks — one is 8 months old and the other is 3 years old.

Not only will the event serve as a reminder to adults of what happened on 9/11, but it also may help the younger generation understand the kind of world they live in today and why.

“I don’t want our children to forget,” Mulhall said.

If you would like to help, call Mulhall at (847) 961-6866.