NJ September 11 Memorial Apologizes For Canceled Ceremony

The New Jersey September 11th Memorial has issued an apology for the cancellation of a ceremony at the Empty Skies 9/11 memorial at Liberty State Park without notification.

A ceremony was scheduled for Sunday to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 according to the group's Facebook page on August 19. The posting also asked for people if they were interested in such an event.

There was no response to the post but many families of the victims showed up only to find no ceremony. Several attendees posted on Sunday afternoon asking about the ceremony and said about 30 people showed up, some coming a "great distance."

An unidentified administrator to the page replied, "I am sorry if people traveled far to get to the Memorial. It is very difficult for us to get in touch with the family members when the State is not directly involved." The administrator also explained that there was no electric on the stage.

A Monday post on the Facebook page said that the group's website crashed and nothing was able to be posted. A new link to the website was also offered. A representative of the Foundation told the Jersey Journal that Governor Chris Christie was not planning to attend and musicians booked for the event canceled.Christie was in Texas for a Republican National Committee fundraiser.

The New Jersey 9/11 Memorial was created to raise funds for the construction of a public monument to the victims of 9/11/01 at the World Trade Center, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.

The Memorial opened in 2011 for the tenth anniversary of the attacks with a ceremony attended by Christie and five former governors as well as Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.

Townsquare Media's David Matthau and Dino Flammia attended a preview of the memorial and attended the 2010 ceremony.