"A Salute to the Real American Heroes", an event honoring Southeast Texas first responders, veterans, and those in active-duty was held at the Beaumont Civic Center marking 911 25 years later. All proceeds from the event benefits the LIT Foundation. Krista Hunter, with LIT, says this event started in 2001 by the late Beaumont Fire Chief Pete Shelton following the September 11 attacks."We've given out over 200 scholarships to future first responders and over $1 million over the past 25 years."
Christopher BIlbo, a fire cadet at LIT's Regional Fire Academy, is a scholarship recipient. Bilbo, who was a year old when the attacks occurred 25 years ago, says "This event means a lot. There are many brave men and women that became before us and there are a lot here in this building tonight . I'm proud to here with everybody and i'm ecstatic everybody is being celebrated". Bilbo wanted te become a firefighter when he fought and beat cancer. He witnessed doctors and nurses attending to young children and MD Anderson Hospital in Houston and wants to give back. He will become a firefighter in January.
Beaumont Fire Chief Earl White tells the Examiner "On September 11 2001 I'm in my office, I watch the first plane hit the tower and realized we were under attack when the second plane hit. As for the 343 firefighters that lost their lives, Chief White added. "The bravery that they exhibited that day. Everybody else is evacuating and they are going in to save lives and costing them their lives".
This year's program honored the late Deputy Constable Hunter Avery, late paramedic John Edgar, and Beaumont Fire Captain Joesph "Chance" Abercrombie.
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