By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The River Parishes will have its fair share of events this weekend to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Events begin this morning in Destrehan, where St. Charles United Methodist Church will hold a food collection drive and 9.11K, or 5.6-mile, fun run/bike ride.

The ride will begin at 8 a.m. at the church, located at 1905 Ormond Blvd., and follow the levee down to Destrehan Plantation and back.

Registration fee for the ride/walk is food for the church’s food pantry or $5. Participants are encouraged to wear red, white or blue or service uniforms for the walk.

At 7 p.m. this evening, St. John Theatre, 115 W. Fourth St., Reserve, will present a Tribute to 9/11 featuring the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will also include brief statements from a few parish leaders. Admission to the event is free.

“We wanted to do something special but nothing elaborate,” said Denise Borell, managing director for St. John Theatre. “We just want the community to come together to remember this moment in our nation’s history.”

On Sunday, parish leaders encourage residents to take some time out to remember the men and women who died, as well as others affected by the attacks.

Residents are asked to join others nationwide at noon Central Time to take one minute of silence in remembrance of lives lost.

Residents are also encouraged to decorate their homes in red, white and blue and fly the American flag at half-staff, if possible. All flags in the parish will be flown at half-staff Sunday.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office Young Marines will conduct a remembrance program at Riverlands Ford, 555 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace.

Unit Commander Brian Bertrand said the program will be short but poignant, with speeches from parish leaders, an essay reading from a Young Marine and a singing of the national anthem.

“This is something we have been planning for a few months now,” Bertrand said. “We were flipping through the months looking for something special to do this year, and we realized that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is this year. Our goal is to make sure that this community does not forget the importance of that day.”

Bertrand said representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, the various parish volunteer fire districts and area military servicemen will be present for the program.