Massachusetts commemorates lives lost in September 11 attacks

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 memorial in the Public Garden.

Loved ones of the fallen also laid flowers at the memorial, where the names of those who perished are carved into the marble.

During a Sunday morning ceremony at the Massachusetts State House, an Easthamptonman was awarded the Madeline "Amy" Sweeney Award for civilian bravery.

In May, Paul Galotti rushed into a burning Easthampton home and carried a wheelchair-bound neighbor to safety.

Amy Sweeney was an American Airlines flight attendant from Acton who died in the September 11 attacks when Flight 11 was hijacked and flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

"This important, annual event represents an opportunity each year to honor the selfless bravery of men and women in the Commonwealth who display incredible acts of heroism, with great risk to their own safety, to save the lives of their neighbors," Gov. Charlie Baker said. "As we commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we remember those that were lost, those that gave their lives to save others and the families whose lives were irrevocably changed twenty-one years ago."  

The Duxbury Fire Department held a September 11 ceremony Sunday morning.

Firefighters said among those in attendance was a man who worked in the Boston office of Marsh McLennan, which lost 358 employees when planes flew into the World Trade Center.

The ceremony was held at the town's September 11 memorial, which includes steel from the World Trade Center.

"When we were gifted this piece of steel from FDNY the firefighter who delivered it said put it somewhere people can touch it," Duxbury Fire Department's PIO tweeted. "This memorial means so much to so many."

The American Red Cross of Boston is holding a blood drive on Sunday.

In honor of September 11, the organization is holding the blood drive from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

The event is taking place at Fenway Park and is being run in partnership with the Red Sox and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Outside of the Massachusetts State House, a large flag is draped and Taps was played Sunday morning ahead of a somber ceremony.

The commemoration includes the reading of names of people who died on September 11.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are participating in the reading, as well as people who lost loved ones in the terrorist attack. The presentation of the Madeline "Amy" Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery will be after that.  

Jim Pavlik was on hand for the ceremony representing pilots from American Airlines, where he has worked for 24 years.

"We'll never forget. And I think this ceremony will be a recurring event as long as this country is around, and that's going to be forever," Pavlik said. 

His wife, Jeannine Pavlik, also worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines, but was on maternity leave the day of the attacks. She knew many of the crew members who died that day.

"We will never forget them. We honor them today, and we honor the sacrifice they gave us," she said.