On Friday, September 11th, Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. and the FealGood Foundation hosted a 9/11 Survivor Tree Planting Ceremony at the Sheriff’s Office in Riverhead honoring the brave men and women lost in the 9/11 attacks 19 years ago.
Each year, the 9/11 Memorial gives seedlings from the Survivor Tree to three communities so they can nurture them for future generations as a symbol of survival and the triumph over tragedy. Sheriff Toulon said he was honored that the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office was selected as one of the sites. “People may not realize how many deputy sheriffs and correction officers worked down at Ground Zero, and other members volunteered or worked there as first responders representing other agencies. I wanted them to have this living memorial on the Sheriff’s Office grounds as a tribute to their work,” said the county Sheriff.
Current and retired members of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office who responded to the recovery effort after 9/11 were also present for the ceremony, along with other elected officials, and dignitaries. The ceremony was streamed on Facebook Live.
Following the ceremony, the Sheriff’s Office debuted a video compilation of interviews with its staff that responded to Ground Zero following the World Trade Center attacks. The video may be seen on the Sheriff’s website at www.suffolksheriff.com.
