Batavia needs help with 9/11 luminaria rite

Volunteers are needed to prepare nearly 3,000 luminarias Sunday afternoon for Batavia's 9/11 memorial ceremony.

The event will take place at the Riverwalk, Houston Street and Island Avenue.

It is organized by Batavia ACCESS and the Batavia Fire Department.

There will be a brief ceremony at the Peg Bond Center at 7:30 p.m., followed by the lighting of the luminarias.

Each luminaria will contain the name of a person who died in the attacks on the United States Sept. 11, 2001. The fire department is making a special tribute to honor all the public safety workers killed as a result of the attacks. They will conduct a bell ceremony, typically done when firefighters die on the job.

Volunteers will start assembling and placing the luminarias at 3 p.m.

The ceremony repeats one done on Sept. 11, 2002. Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke suggested this summer it would be a good task for a revitalized ACCESS committee to take on. ACCESS is Action Committee for Community, Environment and Social Services.

Batavia may repeat 9/11 luminaria ceremony