Family Members Come Together for the 5K Run/Walk to Pay Tribute to First Responders

About a dozen runners are seen participating in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk and Community Day. They are running on a concrete bridge with One World Trade Center and lower Manhattan behind them.
Thousands participate in the 2018 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk and Community Day. Photo by Monika Graff, 9/11 Memorial.

The seventh annual 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk and Community Day will take place on Sunday, April 28. Thousands will come together to pay tribute to the courage, fortitude and perseverance of those who took part in the rescue and recovery efforts in the months following 9/11.

Among those participating is Emma Nadel. Emma created JIMSTRONG, a team for the 5K Run/Walk in honor of her father James Nadel, who was an electrician with Local Union 3 IEBU. Jim was one of the first responders performing emergency electrical services at Ground Zero following the attacks of 9/11. Jim worked double shifts and slept in a Red Cross tent over six months of the rescue and recovery efforts. Emma’s father lost his battle to 9/11-related cancer on March 7, 2016.

Emma is a member of the Flower Hill Hose Company, a fire station located in Port Washington, N.Y. Captain LoRe and other members of the Flower Hill station are supporting Emma and running as members of team JIMSTRONG. Emma shared her reasons for participating in the 5K with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum:

Why are you participating in the 5K?Our family and friends are participating in the 5K Run/Walk in memory of James Nadel. Jimmy was a wonderful husband, father and friend. We want to honor his memory and never forget how Jimmy touched our lives. 

What does the event mean to your team/family?This event is important to all of us because we never want anyone to ever forget that horrific day. We also want to come together as all New Yorkers and Americans did in the aftermath. We must never forget the victims of that day, the families and the first responders who have since lost their lives due to 9/11-related illnesses. We want to honor their memory in any way possible and raise awareness that people involved with this tragedy are still affected today and will be affected for years to come.  

Which aspect of the event are you most looking forward to?We are looking forward to the camaraderie and love of the people participating. It is a time to celebrate those we have lost and share stories and memories. 

Why should other people participate?People should participate in this event because we must never ever forget those who have lost their lives and those who have lost their loved ones to this terrible act of terrorism. We should continue to honor their memories. 

There is still time to sign up for the seventh annual 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk and Community Day. Learn more about the 9/11 Memorial Glade, dedicated to those who are sick and those who have died of 9/11-related illnesses.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

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