Cold weather did not deter over 100 onlookers from making their way to Farmingdale State College on the morning of Dec. 5. Their purpose - to honor the countless trade unions that worked shoulder-to-shoulder with rescue, police and fire personnel in the post-September 11th recovery effort. Over 18 union officials were present for the ceremony that brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience.

The event was held at the future home of the Long Island 9/11 Memorial - a proposed site at Farmingdale State College that will memorialize the 455 Long Islanders who perished on September 11th. During the ceremony, 9/11 families, elected officials, community leaders and school administrators looked on with pride as union members were presented with honorary flags. "The tireless work of the trade unions at Ground Zero may not be well-publicized," said Long Island 9/11 Memorial Committee President Robert DeSilva, "but it is certainly worth a tremendous amount of recognition. These individuals are unsung heroes in their own right."

Highlighting the morning was the unveiling of a 1,500-pound I-beam recovered from Ground Zero that will serve as centerpiece of the memorial. Onlookers were speechless as the white covering was whisked away to show a rusted piece of steel that may have served as a support beam in one of the twin towers.

Earlier remarks delivered by Dr. W. Hubert Keen, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Farmingdale State College, summed up the thoughts of most in the crowd. "Farmingdale State College is proud to support the efforts of the Long Island 9/11 Committee to recognize the extraordinary rescue and recovery efforts of Long Island's trade unions. I thank Bob De Silva and Ken Dolan who have worked tirelessly to remember the many lives lost on September 11 and to remind us that many people extended themselves and their organizations in heroic ways to show the world that this country continued to work together in the aftermath of disaster."

Immediately following the event, attendees made their way to FOUR Food Studio in Melville for a luncheon hosted by Proprietors Ray Sidhom and Jay Grossman. They had the chance to view a model of the proposed memorial and hear thoughts from Memorial Architect Patricia O'Neill. The graciousness shown by the restaurant hosts was a common theme of the day as leaders and community supporters from across Long Island came together for this special and memorable event. "This was a historic day for the Long Island community and our restaurant in general," said Four Food Studio proprietor Jay Grossman. "We've had the pleasure of serving high profile patrons, celebrities and sports figures, but this was truly an honor."

Plans continue to move forward towards a groundbreaking date for the site. The Memorial is expected to cost approximately $10 million to build and donations are currently being accepted. For more information on contributing or on the Memorial in general, visit www.limemorial.org. Donations can be sent to Long Island 9/11 Memorial, c/o North Fork Bank, Laurel, NY 11948. Checks should be made payable to the Long Island Memorial Committee.