After a decade, the 9/11 Patriot Day Motorcade comes to an end.

By Mikaela STONE

It is the end of an era.

The Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, under the direction of Dwight Sityar, Jean Maluccio and Steve Pierce, founded the 9/11 Patriot Day Motorcade 10 years ago. Community members and students across the valley gathered each year to see first responder vehicles, classic cars, muscle cars, and hot rods drive past to honor the fallen of 9/11/01. The purpose of the motorcade was to draw attention to first responders and add an emphasis to the American mantra of “Never Forget.”

While the cancellation of the motorcade is sad news for the community, in many ways the beloved event has reached its natural conclusion. The motorcade celebrated its 10^th birthday in 2023, a bittersweet milestone due to Maluccio’s passing. Several of the original motorists have also passed away or retired from the event. Due to these events, and that 9/11 falls on a Wednesday this year, the weekly banking day for Rosemont Middle School, Monte Vista Elementary school and other schools in the district, the Chamber of Commerce made the decision to discontinue the motorcade.

Steve Pierce assures the community that only the motorcade is canceled and other areas will continue the remembrance and respect for the day.

During previous motorcades, Sityar expressed that the event’s goal was to honor history and to prepare for the future, as those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

The attack on the Twin Towers in New York claimed nearly 3,000 lives and continues to affect survivors. Many first responders and survivors now suffer cancers from breathing in the toxins from the burning and collapsed buildings.

As a veteran, Pierce is proud of the Crescenta Valley area’s record for remembrance, referencing both the motorcade and the Montrose Vietnam War Memorial at the corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue.

Though the CV Chamber of Commerce has no official plans to honor the day, the board members hope that conversations surrounding 9/11 and its effect on America will continue to take place, both at home and in classrooms. Pierce hopes that students born after 2001 will ask those who do remember that day to share their stories.

Pierce’s takeaway from the 9/11 event is that being an American can be a uniting force.

“We may disagree with each other, we may get into arguments with one another over political matters or religious matters,” he said, “but when it comes to our country being attacked, we all pitch in and work together as one.”

The kindness Pierce experienced went beyond America as he and his were traveling in Germany when the news broke of the attack. Empathetic Germans looked after the Pierce family in the midst of their uncertainty.

Pierce said, “Everyone has their moments when they suffer, but we’re all human so we all reach out to each other.”

CV Weekly contacted various agencies to find out how 9/11/01 will be remembered. Each of the Glendale Fire Dept. stations will be hosting small remembrance ceremonies starting at 6 a.m. involving flags and a moment of silence.

Verdugo Fire Communications will be reciting a message to all 13 agencies via radio.

At 7:15 a.m. GFD and GPD will be hosting a small remembrance ceremony in front of the police department’s memorial at 131 N. Isabel St. in Glendale. There will be a short program featuring the honor guard and ringing of bells. Also, GFD will have a truck in front displaying a flag. The ceremony will conclude before 8 a.m.  

LA County Fire Dept. has not announced any memorials as of press time.