MISSOULA — Wednesday marked a "National Day of Service and Remembrance" across the country when Americans are called to volunteer in tribute to those lost and injured in the 9/11 attacks.
Members of the Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps leadership team presented first responders around Missoula with care packages as a way of saying thank you.
AmeriCorps members commit a year of service in Montana. They met with the firefighters at Missoula Rural Fire District Station #1 on Wednesday to present them with a basket of treats and gift cards.
The volunteers might have been toddlers when the attacks happened, but gratitude for the sacrifices made that day transcends the generations.
"It has been such a part of our history and continues to be a part of our history. Growing up we learned about it in school. I do have some very vague memories of the day itself but being assured that we keep this alive and remember the people who made so many sacrifices on that day is really important," AmeriCorps senior leader Eli Bowe explained.
"#Never Forget: You wonder if that really rings true to people and by seeing younger people that understand what happened even though they were maybe a couple of years old at the time and truly didn't understand the gravity of it. The fact that they know about it now, and that they are never forgetting, is pretty impressive," MRFD Chief Chris Newman said.
Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps also delivered care packages to police, the dispatch center, the sheriff's office and other agencies to thank them for their service.
