Dedication ceremony in Vero Beach Sunday, Dec. 13

NEWS RELEASE

Elite Airways, along with the Vero Beach Regional Airport and the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum, will host dedication ceremonies on Sunday, December 13th to commemorate the arrival of a section of an I-beam from the World Trade Center as it arrives to central Florida. The I-beam will arrive in Vero Beach on Elite Airways flight 302 and then be transported by fire truck to its permanent home at the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum in Melbourne.

The public is invited to attend the following events on Sunday, December 13:

• 3:15 p.m. ceremony Vero Beach Regional Airport, 3400 Cherokee Drive, Vero Beach • 3:45 p.m. escort along Route US1 North from Vero Beach toMelbourne • 5:30 p.m. ceremony Liberty Bell Memorial Museum, 1601 Oak Street, Melbourne

Upon its scheduled arrival at the Vero Beach Regional Airport at 3:15 p.m. there will be a brief ceremony led by the Veterans Council of Indian River County. A color guard is planned as well as ceremonial bagpipe music. Attendees include the Vero Beach Regional Airport Director, Eric Menger; Airport Commission Chair, Barbara Drndak; Mayor of Vero Beach, Jay Kramer; and Past President of the local Veterans Council, Martin Zickert, COL, USAF (ret). At approximately 3:45 p.m. the I-beam will travel north on Route US1 by fire truck to the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum at 1601 Oak Street in Melbourne.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. a dedication ceremony will take place at the museum with elected officials, members of the Brevard Sherriff’s Department, Melbourne Police Department, and local Veterans groups. Members of the public will have the opportunity to view the artifact, listen to a short program and ceremony, and experience a photo opportunity.

Elite Airways, which donated the cost for the flights to and from New York for the Museum staff, stated: “Elite Airways is honored to fly this sacred artifact to Florida so that our residents and visitors can reflect on the events of September 11, 2001 and honor those who were lost and greatly impacted that day,” said John Pearsall, President of Elite Airways.

“The historical importance of this section of I-beam will reflect the significance of that tragic day. We are appreciative for the support shown by Elite Airways and Hot Rayz Limousines, which generously donated air and ground transportation for Museum personnel, and for community participation in this historic moment.

This I-beam acquisition took over six years to complete and will now be on permanent display as a centerpiece to the 9/11 exhibit,” said John Tice, Executive Director of the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum. The I-beam comes from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site. The section is from an interior I-beam from one of the towers, which shows cold compression damage received from the collapse. Starting December 13th, it will be on permanent display in the 9/11 exhibit located at The Liberty Bell Memorial Museum, which serves as the anchor for Honor America’s focus on US history education. Entry to the museum is free. For more information, visit: http://honoramerica.org. # # #