first I know you guys are all fired up to start packing meals and we'll get to that real soon but I'd appreciate if you just hold off one minute as we navigate a few announcements at your assembly table you have a designated Captain let's hear it for our table [Applause] captains for all of you helping today pack meals you're our guests and that means if you have any issues at all we want you to let your c table Captain know if you run out of supplies let them know we'll do our best to fulfill your needs and make this a great experience for you as a reminder if you have not already done so please remove any jewelry or accessories and if you have questions about that please ask your table cap one last point a few days after this project you're going to get a email with a survey asking how we did please take a few minutes and provide us feedback uh as it really matters to us so we were calmly here today because of 23 years ago a group of 911 family members and Friends decided that something good had to come out of the 911 tragedy so they decided to take back this game they set out to transform 911 anniversary into a day when Americans would volunteer put aside their differences and join together in unity to help others in need in other words to annually recreate the the way Americans and millions around the world respond to the attacks with kindness compassion and helping hands well guess what that simple idea has grown into what we know as 911 day America's largest day of doing good thanks to your participation thanks to your participation today millions of Americans uh will keep the promise that we'll never forget and not just a reminder of those who were killed or injured but the many others who Rose to service to help defend our nation we also keeping promise to never forget what we are capable of doing Together As Americans and as fellow human beings that I want to thank you for I want to thank our co-hosts and our partners who've been instrumental in bringing this event to life I want to thank americore Delta Airlines Reliance Inc and Target Corp and the many other sponsors for making this important project possible thank you and now I'm honored to welcome the St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter lieutenant governor Peggy Flanigan and your Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz to the [Applause] [Music] stage thank you so much and thank you all we remember 9/11 we will never forget 911 but you know it's one of those things when we say we'll never forget something it's not okay to just sit in a chair by ourselves somewhere and say we remember we have to take that memory and put it into action that's what you are doing today packing 250,000 meals for people in need give yourselves an enormous Round of Applause there are two responses to trauma one is to say we're going to get revenge or we're going to get retribution and we're going to never forget how much we don't like those people over there the other is to say we're going to focus on healing making sure that we heal together making sure that we build a better world together making sure that we Bridge the divides that have kept us separate for so long and I'm just thankful to God to be in a community and a room today full of people who have made that choice theirs today so thank you so much for that I want to thank americore all the partners all the amazing shirts that you have on feeding America and I'm proud to be a part of this incredible team and with that I will pass it off to one of my incredible teammates that's our Minnesota lieutenant governor Peggy Flanigan thank you so much uh Mr Mayor and thank you everyone uh for being here many of us uh remember where we were on 911 um and when I saw the news I called my mom and she didn't have the answers but but she was able to comfort me and she reminded me of the Mr Roger saying of look for the helpers that in this moment um of tragedy and Trauma to look for the helpers because there are always people who are willing to do good and that is in fact who we are as motans and that is who we are as Americans and you will hear um from someone who lost a loved one uh on that day she has turned that grief into service and is an inspiration uh to me and I know that she will be to you as well so as we turn our grief into service and we heal together and we are in a time in this country where folks are trying to divide us we have more in common than we have that separates us and when we come together to literally pack meals to prepare to break bread together that is one of the most powerful things that we can do in this moment a moment of healing a moment of unity and just a moment of service and doing things for our neighbors and for each other and I can't think of a better way to spend the day um and with that someone who I know knows a little bit about public service our governor Tim Walls thank you lieutenant governor thank you mayor Carter and to each of you uh a big thank you to the 9 11 Day committee to to Andrea and Kira who are here to americore uh and to each of the organizations I see the shirts here and then to you individually uh lieutenant governor is right and I think all of you are here because of that and those of us who are old enough um that was a defining moment for us it's one of those in the lieutenant Governor's right I I picture that that moment of disbelief of horror and and for me it was a classroom at man West and students started to filter in in the morning when news was happen happening and and to watch young faces try and comprehend the horror that was in front of them um to all the mothers fathers sons and daughters that were lost um to all of the First Responders who were lost and responded and uh suffer illness years later because of this um as lieutenant governor also said Cindy's going to be up here in a minute she lost her husband but I'm always um I'm always so inspired by where people at their moment of grief do find the ability to turn that into something positive I I don't know the courage where that comes from uh deep inside them this idea that we do things together and I think for all of us it it's not just word of remembering it it is indeed of what you're doing and and I remember that morning very clearly but I remember the mornings after that when on streets I had never seen American flags before they started to come out and people who hadn't talked to that much together started talking together and it may have not lasted as long as we'd have liked but there was a moment of unity around shared values there was a moment of unity about caring for one another there was a moment of unity that we're all in this together and that we rally around and I think it is something that in Minnesota I can't express my deep gratitude and thanks um it's in the time of need that we become our very best it's in the time of trauma that we rise to the occasion and so thank you all for being here today thanks for uh continuing to make it not just another day on the calendar but a way to express that we are truly honoring the memory of those Folks by showing all that unity and all that binds us together so with that I'd turn it back to Chad thank you all