To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, American Water installed a display of 2,977 American flags—one for each life lost—on the RCA Park Pier on Saturday, September 11. A short ceremony at the installation paid tribute to all who were impacted, including fire and police personnel, first responders and military service people.

Prior to the commemoration event, American Water employees volunteered to place each of the flags at RCA Park Pier. The resulting flag memorial—highly visible from the Camden Waterfront promenade, Delaware River, Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, and Ben Franklin Bridge—is the company’s way of honoring all those who were lost 20 years ago and those who died in the years following, on that fateful day.

During the ceremony, attendees observed a brief moment of silence and watched a performance of the National Anthem by the Camden High School Mighty Marching Band. Those in attendance also heard remarks from American Water’s Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Norton, New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough as well as Camden’s Mayor Victor Carstarphen.

"We are honored to have with us members of the Camden fire and police departments. You serve our communities with compassion, respect, and courage. You are our heroes, and we thank every one of you. The 2,977 flags placed on the pier honor those who perished on 9/11. But they also remind us to have hope and move forward as one country,” said McDonough. "As a provider of essential water services, we actively and collaboratively coordinate information sharing and emergency preparedness with local, state and federal law enforcement.”

At the event, Norton and McDonough were also joined by a variety of distinguished guests, including Camden County Police Chief Gabe Rodriguez, Commissioners Jeff Nash (Camden) and Melinda Kane (Cherry Hill), Councilman Chris Collins, Camden City Fire Chief Michael Harper, representatives of the Camden City Fire Department and Camden County Police Department, as well as American Water employees and personnel.

“The City of Camden is pleased to join with our partners at American Water and Americans across the nation as we remember all those lost on the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001,” said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. "Those lost that day will never be forgotten. It’s my privilege to be able to honor those lost and to thank our first responders for their brave actions on 9/11 and every day.”

For video of the flag installation, including aerial drone footage, please visit here.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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