The National Day of Service and Remembrance is a national campaign that encourages people to volunteer on the week of Sept. 11. According to the official site, “On this day Americans across the country are called to volunteer in their local communities in tribute to the individuals lost and injured in the attacks, first responders, and the many who have risen in service to defend freedom.”

Madison College students were given the opportunity to take a “Commit to Service” card, which allowed them to record three hours of community service at an organization of their choice. If completed, a student could return this card to Student Life or the front desk on any campus to receive a Volunteer Center t-shirt.

On the day of Sept. 11, the Day of Service and Remembrance Luncheon was held in the Protective Services Building in the Fire Bay at Truax campus. Guest speaker Chief Kristen Roman, associate vice chancellor and Chief of UW Police Department, began by reminding those present of the magnitude of the attacks.

“9/11 is the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United states. In total, 2,997 people were killed and over 6,000 others were injured. Of those killed 412 were emergency workers,” Roman said.

She emphasized that, while these numbers are unbelievable, the aftermath of the attacks is still being felt. Roman stated: “The first responder death toll from this previously unimaginable tragedy continues to mount. In the 18 years that have passed since 9/11, 241 NYPD police officers have died from 9/11 related illnesses. This is 10 times the number killed in the 9/11 attacks. And another 202 New York firefighters have died from 9/11 related illnesses.”

The point of this national campaign is to go beyond simply remembering, and Roman encouraged us all to become involved.

“To fully honor their service, we must do more than just remember and acknowledge their extraordinary acts of bravery or rest in contentment with mere platitudes. We owe it to these heroes and all those who endeavor to carry forward their commitment to service to open our hearts and minds, that we might see that collectively their ultimate sacrifice was so much more than an act of bravery, inherently their sacrifice was an act of love,” Roman said.

For those who don’t have the time or are not sure how to get active and involved in their community, it’s important to remember the power that small gestures and kindnesses have. Roman made sure to continue the tradition of remembering the 9/11 attacks and those who have been affected by them, and also made sure to say that, “we must understand that sacrifice and the corresponding virtues of humility and love aren’t built on such acts of magnitude alone, rather in the forging of consistent, thoughtful actions of an everyday nature.”