The annual 9/11 Sacrifice of Service celebration in Bremerton will pay tribute to first responders and military members who responded to the attacks in 2001, promote unity, and increase awareness of local public safety and emergency preparedness initiatives.

“This event is a great venue to honor the heroes we lost during the 9/11 attacks, including our local responders, and to celebrate our local heroes,” said Martitha May, co-founder of the event, Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center and La Mesa Redonda. “We are also bringing our community together to raise awareness that we all need to be prepared for emergencies.”

The celebration begins at 9:11 a.m. at the 9/11 memorial at Evergreen Rotary Park, 1500 Park Ave.

Speakers include: Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler, Police chief Tom Wolfe, City judge Tracy Flood, County Commissioner Ed Wolfe, District court judge candidate Shane Seaman, State Rep. Tarra Simmons, State Sen. Emily Randall and U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer.

There will be informational booths from organizations, including: Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management; Kitsap Resiliency Project; Kitsap Public Health District; The county Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition; Kitsap Showing Up for Racial Justice; Kitsap Equity, Race and Community Engagement Coalition; and The Kitsap Black Student Union.

“There are so many exciting public safety and emergency preparedness resources in Kitsap County, and we need to let everyone in our community know about them, especially our underserved and marginalized communities,” said the other event co-founder, Akuyea Karen Vargas, who is also co-founder of Living Arts Cultural Heritage, ERACE and Kitsap Black Student Union. “This event also provides a space for the organizations doing these initiatives to hear directly from community members.”

This celebration is a collaboration among several social justice organizations in Kitsap County, including Living Life Leadership and New Life Community Development Agency.