Keane Foundation Plans 9/11 Remembrance
The Richard M. Keane Foundation is planning a 25th anniversary commemoration of the candle- light ceremony that took place on the Broad Street Green in Wethersfield in the aftermath of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The tragedy claimed the lives of thousands of victims, including Wethersfield residents Dick Keane, Jeffrey Bittner, and David Winton, as well as Fred Kuo, Jr., the father of Keane Foundation board member Fred J. Kuo. It served as the inspiration for the establishment of the Richard M. Keane Foundation, the nonprofit organization that renovated the 9/11 Memorial Sports Center in the Pitkin Community Center and continues to provide an extensive array of after-school enrichment programs for Wethersfield youth.
The free event on the Broad Street Green in Historic Wethersfield will take place Friday, September 11, 2026 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, and will feature presentations by dignitaries, community singers, and town officials. The winner of the September 11th Writing Contest, co- sponsored by the Wethersfield Public Library and the Richard M. Keane Foundation for Wethersfield students in grades four through six, will read the winning essay.
More than five thousand people attended the original impromptu Candlelight Vigil on the Green in 2001 and held candles to commemorate the 9/11 victims. In lieu of actual candles, attendees at this year’s event will be asked for safety reasons to display a representation of a candle-flame from an app on their phones. The large sheets signed by thousands in attendance at the original vigil will once again be on display, and a new canvas will be available for visitors to sign and to leave comments. Please save the date 9/11/2026 for what promises to be a memorable and moving community event for the entire family. There is no rain date.