Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, two longtime rivals will come together under one message: United As One.

Indian Hill High School and the Indian Hill community, together with Wyoming High School, invite first responders, FBI personnel, active-duty military members, veterans, students, families, alumni and community members to a special 9/11 25th Anniversary Remembrance & First Responders/Military Appreciation Night on Friday, Sept. 11, at Tomahawk Stadium.

“Friday night football brings our communities together, and this particular night gives us an opportunity to make that gathering about something much larger than a game,” said Indian Hill Director of Alumni and Community Advancement Brian Phelps. “We want to honor the lives lost on September 11, recognize the courage and sacrifice of those who responded, and show our gratitude to the first responders and members of the military who continue to serve us today.”
The pregame ceremony is expected to include a bagpipe procession into Tomahawk Stadium; recognition of local police, Rangers, fire and EMS personnel, FBI representatives, active-duty military members and veterans; a ceremonial coin flip; a 9/11 remembrance; moment of silence; Taps; “America the Beautiful”; and the National Anthem.

Indian Hill and Wyoming student-musicians will also come together as part of the ceremony. The evening will include Indian Hill Band Night, featuring our Braves Marching Band and seventh- and eighth-grade Concert Band students, as well as participation from our Premieres Choir. It will also serve as Youth Football and Youth Cheer Night.

Honoring those with a direct connection to 9/11
Indian Hill is extending a special invitation to individuals throughout the community who have a personal connection to September 11, including those who were at Ground Zero or the Pentagon, served in the military or as first responders, or participated in the response to the attacks.

The evening also represents an opportunity for a generation of students born long after September 11, 2001, to understand the significance of the day and the extraordinary service that followed.

“Twenty-five years later, we have a responsibility not only to remember, but to help our students understand why we remember,” said Indian Hill Superintendent Dr. Melissa Stewart. “This evening will bring generations together through remembrance, gratitude and service. There is something incredibly powerful about Indian Hill and Wyoming, competitors on the field, standing side-by-side with first responders, veterans, military members, students and families to demonstrate that what unites us is far greater than what separates us. That is the experience we want our students to carry forward.”

Community invited to give back
The evening will also provide an opportunity to support the men and women who serve local communities. Special 9/11 25th Anniversary “United As One” shirts will be available for $20, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting local first responder agencies.

“This is an invitation to our entire community,” Stewart said. “Come stand with us. Come remember with us. Come thank the people who serve and protect us. And come show our students what it means, 25 years later, to be united as one.”