MyGoodDeed Enlists 30 Celebrities for '9/11 Day' Service Campaign
On the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that took down New York City's World Trade Center while hitting the Pentagon in Virginia, a $15 million public service campaign enlisted 30 celebrities to engage all citizens to conduct acts of service for the country's largest day of charitable activity.
The day is known as "9/11 Day," which was founded by MyGoodDeed, a nonprofit organization that worked to ensure that Sept. 11 was honored as a National Day of Service and Remembrance for the estimated 3,000 people who lost their lives 11 years ago.
This year, 30 celebrities joined together for the "9/11 Day" movement, where they created videos detailing what they pledged to do on the historical day in America. David Paine, president and co-founder of the 9/11 Day Observance and MyGoodDeed.com, described the decision to call on high-profile individuals to be faces of the campaign this year.
"We wanted to show that when it comes to 9/11, we all are the same," Paine said in a statement.
The videos featured on 911Day.org highlight promises of service from a diverse group of celebrities including actors, athletes and musicians.
Rapper Fabolous was one of the 30 celebrities who posted a video on the website using the campaign slogan "I will."
"I will always remember 9/11. I will say a prayer for America," Fabolous said in his homemade video. "I will continue to live strong and honor those lost on this day. What will you do?"
Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Oz, cardiothoracic surgeon, author and television personality, also posted a video on the website where he recalled his own experience on the day of remembrance.
"I will never forget the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. I remember being in the middle of open heart surgery when I first heard about the attacks," Oz recalled. "I banned everyone from paying attention to the news outside because we had a patient on the table. Now I was able to save a life of my patient with my team but I lost a good friend that day."
While Oz shared his personal story, he also vowed to inspire others to live their best lives.
"In remembrance I'm going to tell my loved ones how much they mean to me. And I'll continue to inspire others to live fully for every minute of everyday," Oz said in his video. "So we can cherish the fleeting moments that we all share together."