Organizers of 9/11 Day and Action America Join Together September 11 to Ring The Opening Bell(SM) at the NYSE, Officially Launching a Nationwide Day of Good Deeds and Service in Tribute to the 9/11 Victims, Rescue and Recovery Workers and Military Personnel

More than 33 million participated in the 9/11 Day Observance in 2011

Organizers urge all Americans to support military veterans; provide new employment opportunities that leverage their "extensive skills and experience."

NEW YORK, Sept. 11 , 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MyGoodDeed, the nonprofit that annually organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance ("9/11 Day Observance"), and Action America, an open-source brand created to unite and activate Americans everywhere to turn the events of 9/11 into positive action, will officially kick off this year's 9/11 Day Observance (http://911day.org) at 9:30AM ET on September 11, 2012, by ringing The Opening Bell^SM  at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The 9/11 Day Observance, founded in 2002 with widespread support of the 9/11 community and formally recognized in 2009 under federal law and Presidential Proclamation, has grown to become the nation's largest annual day of charitable service.

Participating in the ceremony will be David Paine and Jay Winuk, co-founders of the 9/11 Day Observance; Tim Armstrong, Chairman & CEO of AOL and co-founder of Action America; and Kenny Dichter, co-founder of Action America.  Also joining will be Eric Greitens, CEO of The Mission Continues; Marie Tillman, Founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation; representatives of American Express, GlaxoSmithKline and Holland & Knight, significant funders of 9/11 Day Observance in 2012, as well as Olympic Gold Medalist Tyson Chandler, New York Knick and member of the Men's U.S. Basketball Team, and Olympic Gold Medalist Alex Morgan of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

"Even today, when there are many pressing issues that divide us throughout the  nation, it is remarkable and inspiring to see how the country joins together each 9/11 to remember and pay tribute through good deeds and charitable service," said David Paine, CEO and co-founder of the 9/11 Day Observance.  "Over the past 11 years, Americans have kept their promise never to forget the victims and heroes."

"The anniversary of 9/11 represents a moment in time where every American has a personal and emotional story," said Tim Armstrong, AOL Chairman and CEO. "This anniversary is a time for us to come together and help raise awareness for volunteerism and service, in an effort to honor those impacted as well as helping to create a movement of inspiration and encouragement."

Founded last year on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Action America calls on people throughout the United States to get involved and become an 'actionist' by sharing, serving and donating.

ActionAmerica.com enables Americans — wherever they live — to become 'actionists' through the following three activities:

• Share: Perform simple tasks to leverage social media platforms and build awareness for the campaign such as uploading photos of volunteers showing the "High 11s" (the symbolic gesture representing a commitment to the cause) and tweeting the positive action with the hashtag #high11.
• Serve: Find local volunteer opportunities in local communities, powered by the 9/11 Day Observance.
• Donate: Financially support the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Tuesday's Children and the Wounded Warriors Project.

"As we remember the courage and sacrifice demonstrated that September morning in 2001, we are pleased to join with the 9/11 Day and Action America organizers in a day of service to remember the victims and responders of 9/11. We also honor the brave members of the military who, along with their families, have made extraordinary sacrifices to defend this nation following the attacks," said Eric Greitens, Founder and CEO of The Mission Continues. "With more than one million service members expected to transition from active duty back to civilian life over the next five years, it is vitally important that Americans recognize veterans as one of our nation's greatest assets. We need to work together to leverage the remarkable leadership skills that veterans bring to their communities as a result of their unique experiences."

About 9/11 Day
Last year, a remarkable 33 million Americans were inspired to engage in charitable activities and good deeds in observance of 9/11, transforming September 11 into America's largest annual day of charitable activity.  To support the 2012 observance, MyGoodDeed has secured more than  $15 million in donated advertising media, including television, radio, print, outdoor and digital.  The campaign, themed "I Will," asks all Americans to perform at least one good deed on 9/11, and asks, "What Will You Do This 9/11?"  The group maintains  a special website, 911day.org, where individuals and groups can share their plans and dedicate their service to 9/11 victims and heroes by name,  download toolkits and lesson plans, and search for volunteer opportunities.  Many prominent celebrities, including John Krasinski, Debra Messing, Dr. Oz, Victor Cruz, and Deepak Chopra, have contributed videos to the website, talking about their 9/11 experiences and service plans.  9/11Day organizers are also working with The Mission Continues, Volunteers of America, Second Harvest Heartland, and the Corporation for National and Community Service to implement large scale volunteer service projects on 9/11 in New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Dallas.  CNCS is a federal agency that oversees many national service programs and was charged under the 2009 Serve America Act to lead federal activities in support of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.  Supporters are encouraged to "like" the 9/11 Day Facebook page at http://facebook.com/911day, and follow  the observance on Twitter at twitter.com/911day, hashtag #911day. 

Funding and in-kind services for 9/11 Day have been provided in 2012 by American Express, Target Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline, NYSE Euronext, Viacom, AOL, Clear Channel,  NFL Charities,  Corporation for National and Community Service, Holland & Knight, Cantor Fitzgerald, Benjamin Moore, Aerva, The Broadway League,  Creative Artists Agency,  SNS Staging Inc., American Eagle and others.

About Action America
Action America, a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is an open-source brand created to unite and activate Americans everywhere to turn the events of 9/11 into positive action. Led by Marquis Jet founder Kenny Dichter and AOL chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong, the coalition currently includes AOL, KBS+, New York Says Thank You Foundation, 9/11 Day of Observance, MDC Partners, among others. Action America seeks to make the 11th anniversary of 9/11 by activating a digital platform that enables Americans to serve, donate and share their support. Action America supports any and all 9/11-related organizations and through its website, www.ActionAmerica.com, enables Americans to donate to Tuesday's Children, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum or The Wounded Warriors Project, or to volunteer on behalf of organizations of their choice. All proceeds generated through merchandise sales on ActionAmerica.com equally benefit Tuesday's Children, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and the Wounded Warriors Project. For more information or to learn how you can participate, please visit www.ActionAmerica.com.

SOURCE 9/11 Day