National Park Foundation Invites Americans to Honor Veterans Day by Supporting The Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign

Campaign to Complete Flight 93 National Memorial Continues Following Ceremonial Groundbreaking at www.HonorFlight93.org

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation is inviting all Americans to honor Veterans Day 2009 by supporting the campaign to complete the Flight 93 National Memorial. The memorial will honor the 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93, who overtook the 9/11 terrorists aboard their flight and presumably thwarted efforts to launch a further attack on Washington, D.C.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090630/DC40408LOGO)

A groundbreaking ceremony at the crash site marked the beginning of the construction process, as the campaign to support the memorial continues. To date, roughly one-third of the money needed has been raised to complete the Flight 93 Memorial. To make a contribution to the Flight 93 Campaign, visit: www.honorflight93.org. A video of highlights from the emotional groundbreaking ceremony was also released today on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CXjMgtDlYw.

"All of America should be helping on this effort because they were heroes for all of America," said Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar at the groundbreaking ceremony. "Our nation's capital belongs to everybody in America, and if this plane, Flight 93 had hit its intended target who knows what the consequence would have been to the entire planet."

"Veterans Day is a time when we celebrate and honor the selfless men and women who have served the nation in times of need. The story of Flight 93 clearly resonates with the thousands of veterans who have visited the temporary memorial," said General Tommy Franks, honorary co-chair of the Flight 93 Campaign. "American Veterans are known for their commitment to getting hard jobs done. We are going to follow their example and complete the fundraising for the Flight 93 Memorial in time for the tenth anniversary of 9/11."

Many veterans who have visited the Flight 93 Crash Site have left tributes including a pair of combat boots, a Purple Heart, dog tags, and a brick from an Iraqi compound.

In a weekend editorial in the Washington Post about the groundbreaking, Gov. Tom Ridge, who is an honorary chairman of the Flight 93 Campaign, and Gov. Rendell wrote that, "The story of Flight 93 is a parable for our times that calls on each of us to be our best selves -- and to value and respect that spark in one another."

The National Park Foundation is running the campaign to complete the Flight 93 Memorial. To support the effort, please visit www.honorflight93.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation is an independent charitable organization chartered by Congress in 1967 to strengthen the connection between the American people and their 392 national parks. As the official national non-profit partner of America's National Parks, the Foundation raises private funds, makes strategic grants, creates innovative partnerships and increases public awareness about the need and opportunity for park philanthropy. In its 2008 fiscal year, the National Park Foundation distributed grants and program support of $27.3M.

For more information, visit: www.nationalparks.org.

    Contact:
    Mark Shields
    National Park Foundation
    202-354-6480
    mshields@nationalparks.org

SOURCE National Park Foundation

RELATED LINKS
http://www.nationalparks.org
http://www.honorflight93.org/