9/11 Remembrance Weekend Starts With Bike Ride

Operation One Voice launches a 9/11 Remembrance weekend Friday (Sept. 9) in Duluth and at Lake Lanier Islands Resort to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. Founded by Duluth Police Lt. Bill Stevens, Operation One Voice is composed of police officers, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, business and community leaders. The weekend culminates in a Memorial Service Sunday morning at the lake.

The weekend’s activities include:

• 9/9 – Operation One Voice Golf at Lanier Golf Club, Lake Lanier Islands Resort featuring a performance by the Black Dagger Parachute Team. The tournament starts at 10 a.m.

• 9/9 – Book signing by author Billy Waugh 6 p.m. and Casino Night 7 p.m. at Legacy Lodge, Lake Lanier Islands Resort. 

• 9/10 – Wounded Warrior Honor (Bicycle) Ride from to Lake Lanier Islands Resort. Riders depart from City Hall at 8 a.m. Riders include Marine Maj. Gen. Mark Clark, chief of staff of U.S Special Operations Command.

• 9/10 – A 9/11 Remembrance Country Music Concert at Wild Bill’s in Duluth featuring Travis Tritt. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

• 9/11 – Memorial Service at 9 a.m. at Peachtree Point, Lake Lanier Islands Resort.

The events, which are open to the public, raise funds to support the immediate needs of children and families of wounded and fallen U.S. Special Operations Forces. Several wounded warrior families will be participating in the events. For more information, visit www.OperationOneVoice.org.

Lt. Stevens was working both as a policeman and a fireman in Duluth when 9/11 happened and subsequently helped the local community raise $10,000 for families of a NYC policeman and a fireman, who were brothers and who both died that day. $5,000 was presented to each family directly. The brothers were among 343 firefighters and 72 police officers who perished.

The experience and a challenge led to his forming Operation One Voice. “When our troops went over to Afghanistan, a federal agent challenged me to do something for the troops,” Stevens said.

Stevens designed and delivered Special Forces challenge coins in memory of 9/11 victims to Fort Bragg, NC. The overwhelming response by soldiers to the coins inspired him to form the organization. The coins, a military tradition, have continued to be a part of Operation One Voice efforts to support military heroes and their families.

Operation One Voice has since provided more than $440,000 to assist 1,783 families, Stevens said.

Stevens, who retired as a Duluth fireman with 30 years service, continues to serve as a Duluth community policing officer. He will be participating in Saturday’s ride to Lake Lanier Islands and later donating his bicycle to a wounded warrior who needs it for rehabilitation. Other Duluth police officers will join him on the ride.

More Operation One Voice chapters have been formed in Tallahassee, FL, and Albany, GA. Another is in the process of organizing in Phoenix, AZ.

(Editor's note: Visit the Duluth Patch 9/11 site featuring all our stories on the 10th anniversary. http://duluth.patch.com/topics/september-11th-anniversary)