Los Cerritos Center Shoppers Say Thanks to 9/11 Heroes

On the evening of Sept. 11, 2011, the  was bustling like it was any other Sunday. The halls were filled with people shopping the back-to-school sales and families enjoying the mall's wide variety of dinning options. With mall business carrying on as usual, it is hard to imagine that just 10 short years ago, many of these same people were at school, work, and home watching the tear-jerking news coverage of the aftermath from the deadliest terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. 

To honor the 10-year anniversary of the tragic event, the Los Cerritos Center is hosting a "We Will Always Remember" presentation. Featured near the mall's North entrance and in front of , the memorial showcase provides mall patrons with an opportunity to reflect on the historical day that changed our nation forever.

The mall's "We Will Always Remember" layout includes a nine-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty surrounded by bright American flags and two ballot boxes. With paper and pens at hand, shoppers are encouraged to write notes of remembrance, thanks, and encouragement to firefighters and police officers. 

As mall patrons shuffled to and fro within the shopping center, many people stopped at the memorial this past weekend to reflect, likely thinking about where they were 10 years ago, how life has changed since then, and what effects of 9/11 are still to come in the future. 

Since the installation opened on Sept. 8, shoppers have been adding their heartfelt and honest thoughts to the ballot boxes. The display has become so popular that the large ballot boxes were filled to capacity this past weekend and had to be emptied to make room for additional entries.

One anonymous entry read: "Thank you for  all those who sacrificed themselves for the attacks. We will always remember you and your actions for the U.S.A."

Though many had not even been born yet on 9/11/2001, many children stopped to share their thoughts at the memorial display. One note card, written by a child in large, squiggly print, simply stated, "Thank you for saving are [sic] world." 

Cerritos shopper Chantel Espinoza made a point to stop at the special memorial with her son and daughter, whom she briefed on the significance of the 9/11 attacks as they added their note cards to the ballot boxes. 

"I think it is important for everyone to contribute something," explained Espinoza, "even if it is just letters of thanks to firefighters or words of encouragement for others."

The display will be available through Monday, Sept. 12 -- after which the messages will be collected and mailed to local stations: , , and . Messages will also be sent to the FDNY Ten House: Engine Company 10 & Ladder Company 10 and the New York City Police Department - First Precinct. 

For more information on this special display, call Guest Services at (562) 860-9868.