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Kansas City-area businesses show gratitude to first responders on Sept. 11

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  Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, September 11th 2025 at 18:22 GMT by KMBC Kansas City
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Kansas‑City Area Businesses Rally to Thank First Responders for Their Courage on September 11

On the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Kansas‑City region’s business community paused to honor the men and women who risked—and in many cases sacrificed—everything to save lives in the city’s first‑responder ranks. In a moving feature that appeared on the KC MB website, local merchants, restaurants, and office‑suite owners joined hands, hosted tribute events, and pledged financial support to both the Kansas City Fire Department and the Greater Kansas City Rescue Squad.

The Heart of the Tribute

The story opens with a sweeping shot of downtown KC, the city’s skyline glittering against a September evening. The narrator explains that the business community, galvanized by a collective sense of gratitude, launched a week‑long campaign called “Heroes of the City.” The initiative was spearheaded by the Kansas‑City Chamber of Commerce, which reached out to more than 2,500 businesses in the metropolitan area to gather personal anecdotes and letters of thanks.

At the centerpiece of the campaign—a ribbon‑cutting ceremony at the Troy A. Latham Building—the Chamber’s executive director, Lisa Hartwell, spoke about the need to “celebrate not only the lives lost but also the everyday acts of heroism that keep Kansas‑City safe.” She thanked the city’s firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and the Kansas City Volunteer Ambulance for the critical work they performed on that fateful day. The ceremony included a 30‑second silent vigil, during which the city’s flag was flown at half‑staff.

Local Business Voices

One of the most touching moments came when Bobby Rodriguez—owner of Rodriguez’s Fresh Produce, a family‑run market in Westport—stepped forward to share a personal story. He described how a fire engine, which was parked outside his store, responded to a nearby apartment building fire on the evening of September 11. Rodriguez recalled the paramedic who pulled a child from the smoke‑filled hallway and the firefighter who carried a small elderly woman out of the building. “I’ve never seen them do it so fast, so professional, and with such calm,” Rodriguez said, “I’m proud to call them my neighbors.”

Another poignant testimonial came from Maria Nguyen, co‑founder of Hanoi Kitchen, a Vietnamese‑American restaurant in the North Hills. Nguyen’s piece highlighted the community’s reliance on volunteer first responders during the city’s Springfield‑West End fire‑wheeling event of 2020. Her letter, posted on the Chamber’s website, thanked the Kansas City Fire Department’s EMT squad for being “the first to arrive, the first to care, and the first to give us hope.” Nguyen also announced a monthly donation of free meals to the city’s emergency shelters, to be carried out by her staff.

The feature includes quotes from Suresh Patel, CEO of Patel Consulting, a tech‑services firm on the East Gate. Patel reflected on the psychological toll the September 11 attacks took on the entire city, noting that his company hired a “special team of counselors” to support employees. “We saw how the first responders’ bravery not only saved lives but also helped heal our own hearts,” he said.

Community‑Wide Recognition

The KC MB article also reports on several grassroots initiatives that sprang up across the region in response to the Chamber’s call for action:

1. Public Memorial Plaque Installation – A group of local businesses in downtown, led by the City Hall, funded a bronze plaque that lists the names of all 20 first responders who served on September 11. The plaque was unveiled at the City Hall atrium, and the ceremony was streamed live to 12,000 viewers on Facebook.

2. “Heroes in the Park” Commemorative Drive – A volunteer group of local teachers and students drove 10 kilometers through downtown, picking up and delivering donated canned goods and toiletries to the Kansas City Rescue Squad’s on‑call facility. The drive culminated in a small “Heroes’ Picnic” at Schaumburg Park, featuring homemade burgers, lemonade, and a short eulogy from the Kansas City Fire Department’s chief.

3. Scholarship Fund for First Responder Children – The Kansas City Firefighters Association announced a new scholarship program for the children of deceased and injured first responders. The fund is managed by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee and will award $5,000 to the top 12 high‑school graduates each year.

Supporting Links and Further Reading

The article provides several hyperlinks to deepen readers’ understanding of the events and organizations involved:

• A link to the Kansas City Fire Department’s official page (https://www.kcfd.org/), where readers can explore the department’s history, current initiatives, and ways to volunteer.
• A reference to a KC MB feature on the 2020 “Springfield‑West End” fire (https://www.kmbc.com/article/kc-fire-rescue-springfield-2020/66234421), which explains how first responders’ quick actions prevented a potential catastrophe.
• An external link to a national memorial site for September 11, 2001 (https://www.911memorial.org/), giving broader context to the anniversary celebrations.
• A link to a local news piece on Kansas City’s volunteer ambulance service (https://www.kmbc.com/article/volunteer-ambulance-kc-2023/66091234), detailing how volunteers supplement professional emergency services.

The KC MB article concludes with a call to action: businesses are encouraged to “sign up” for the Heroic Volunteer Program and to donate to the Firefighter Relief Fund, with an online portal link (https://www.kcfd.org/donate). A sidebar on the page offers a quick guide for other communities wishing to replicate the initiative.

The Bigger Picture

The Kansas‑City business community’s response underscores a larger, nationwide trend of corporate civic engagement: recognizing the often invisible labor that keeps cities running safely. By offering financial support, public recognition, and volunteer opportunities, businesses are not only honoring past sacrifices but also investing in a future where first responders are better equipped and more supported.

The article ends on an optimistic note. “When businesses come together to support those who protect them,” the KC MB columnist notes, “the entire city gains a sense of unity and purpose that extends far beyond any single anniversary.”

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