A 16,000-square-foot quilt memorializing the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks will make its only stop in the state of New York starting on Friday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 12 at the Farmingdale State University of New York Nold Hall in a free exhibition open to the public.

The United In Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt, a traveling memorial exhibit in honor of the individual victims of 9/11, is on display in conjunction with the third anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The entire quilt stretches more than 1,500 linear feet. This powerful exhibition evokes the memories of the 9/11 victims through over 3,000 eighteen-inch fabric quilt blocks with personalized photos, memories and stories. Visitors will have the opportunity to reflect on the tragedies and remember those who lost their lives. The quilt, a global undertaking of more than 3,000 volunteers from 18 countries, consists of 142 individual 10-1/2-square-foot panels, each containing 25 blocks memorializing every victim of the attacks on September 11.

The exhibit, on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will run from Friday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 12. The public is invited to the unique experience of viewing this work of art as a tribute to all those who perished on September 11, 2001. A special VIP preview night will be held for press and special guests on Thursday, Sept. 9 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Daniel Rodriguez, former NYPD officer (known as the singing policeman) will be performing at the VIP preview.

Long Beach, CA resident Corey Gammel spearheaded the United In Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt. Through the power of the Internet, Gammel was able to gather the support of thousands of volunteers from 18 countries that wanted to help in the aftermath of 9/11. Seeking to bring some measure of unity and healing to a traumatized nation Gammel envisioned a quilt similar to the world-renown AIDS Quilt. "September 11, 2001 will forever be remembered as the day when terrorist attacks inflicted the costliest tragedy ever on American soil," said Gammel, "The nation and the entire world mourned the insurmountable loss of thousands of lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on the fields of Pennsylvania. And it was out of this human need, that the United In Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt Project was born."

More than 3,600 volunteers from every state in the United States and seventeen countries around the world contributed to the making of the quilt. Using simple pieces of fabric, the individual quilt blocks are uniquely designed to honor an individual who lost their life in the tragedy.

Carolyn Pierce, a volunteer quilter from Mitchellville, Maryland, contributed a panel in the name of Seth Morris, a 35-year old broker from Cantor Fitzgerald lost in the World Trade Center. "Seth Morris by all accounts was a great family man, like so many of the September 11 victims," said Pierce. "The greatest tragedy of all is the thousands of young children who had to go through the trauma of losing one or both parents in such a sudden and sickening way and now will be growing up without them."

Gammel said the quilt, which would stretch across a quarter-mile if the panels were aligned end to end, was completed in just 11 months, a remarkable feat considering it was done largely as a grass-roots effort.

Many of the blocks include pictures, love letters, patches, and drawings, which honor the life of the individual. The quilt was pieced together by hundreds of volunteers working over many months at the World Trade Center in Long Beach, California. It was completed in August 2002 and had its debut inside the Exhibition Hall of the Queen Mary in Long Beach in September 2002. Since then, this magnificent tribute to 9/11 has been displayed at various locations in the Southern California area including Los Angeles, and in numerous locations across the United States, including New York City, Boston and cities in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Utah.

To date, over 150,000 people have seen the Quilt and have been touched by this important tribute that has left an indelible imprint upon their hearts and minds. A visual history of the making of the quilt or each quilt block may be seen by visiting the website at www.unitedinmemory.net.

"The exhibitions are free to the public, but we are pleased to accept corporate and private donations to cover the costs and eventually, to set up a permanent site for the quilt," Gammel said. "It is just an incredible gift of love - a national heirloom, really."

The quilt in its entirety will be displayed in the Farmingdale State Nold Hall at 2350 Broadhollow Rd. in Farmingdale. Campus and driving directions are available at www.farmingdale.edu.