[00:00:45]
OH SAY, CAN YOU SEE WHAT'S AT THE WHO? BRIGHT STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS WERE THE OR THE WERE SO THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT WAS THAT ALMIGHTY GOD WE GATHERED TO THE GATE WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS.
IN SOLEMN REMEMBRANCE, WE PAUSE TO HONOR THOSE WHO, WHOSE LIVES WERE TAKEN ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, 25 YEARS AGO, TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO STILL BEAR THE WOUNDS AND TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE COURAGE OF THOSE WHO ANSWERED THE CALL.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHERE PEOPLE FROM MANY NATIONS, CULTURES AND BACKGROUNDS LIVE, WORK, AND SERVE TOGETHER.
MAY OUR DIVERSITY NEVER DIVIDE US, BUT STRENGTHEN OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO LI LIBERTY, JUSTICE, AND DIGNITY.
FOR EVERY PERSON, RENT WISDOM TO THOSE WHO LEAD US.
COURAGE TO THOSE WHO DEFEND US, AND PROTECTION TO THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES EACH DAY, ESPECIALLY OUR MILITARY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL.
PLEASE TURN OUR HEARTS AWAY FROM HATRED AND VIOLENCE AND LEAD US IN THE PATHS OF PEACE.
HELP US TO BE PEOPLE WHO SEEK UNDERSTANDING INSTEAD OF DIVISION.
COMPASSION INSTEAD OF BITTERNESS.
AS WE REMEMBER THE SACRIFICES OF THE PAST, REMIND US OF OUR CONTINUED NEED FOR YOU.
GUIDE US TO BUILD A FUTURE MARKED BY JUSTICE, MERCY, AND PEACE.
TRUSTING NOT ONLY IN OUR OWN RESOLVE, BUT YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR GRACE.
AND WE OFFER THIS PRAYER IN THE NAME OF JESUS, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
[00:05:03]
OFTEN WONDER HOW WE GET THROUGH MOMENTS LIKE THIS, MOMENTS LIKE NINE 11, AND THEN I REALIZE WE DO IT TOGETHER, LEANING ON ONE ANOTHER AND OUR FAITH.AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
IT'S A SOLEMN OCCASION FOR OUR NATION, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND THERE ARE FAMILIES ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY THAT ARE HURTING THIS MORNING.
AND I HOPE GOD GIVES ME THE STRENGTH TO LEAD TODAY BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE THAT PREPARES YOU FOR THIS SOLEMN OCCASION.
YOU KNOW, GOD DOES NOT ALLOW US TO CHOOSE WHEN WE LOSE A LOVED ONE OR A FRIEND, BUT HE ALLOWS US TO RECOGNIZE THE JOY THAT THEY BROUGHT INTO OUR LIVES.
HE ALLOWS US TO RECOGNIZE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY.
COACH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME TOGETHER.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO GATHER AT LAUREN'S GARDEN.
IT HAS BECOME A VERY SPECIAL SITE IN HOUSTON'S SPECIAL CHARACTERISTIC OF HOUSTON, GETTING THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES THROUGH OUR UNITY.
AND THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE THEY WERE ON NINE 11.
MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S WITH ME TODAY, REMINDED ME THAT I CALLED HER.
WE ALL HAD THIS SENSE OF PANIC.
WE WANTED TO TALK AND BE WITH OUR LOVED ONES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE KATUSI FAMILY COULD NOT DO WHAT MOST OF US DID.
'CAUSE LAUREN UNFORTUNATELY WAS WITH OTHER HEROES.
THERE AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, HOW DO WE GET THROUGH MOMENTS LIKE THAT? OUR FAITH, OUR COMMUNITY COACH, WE'RE WITH YOU TODAY AS WE'VE BEEN SINCE THAT HORRIFIC DAY.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE AT LAUREN'S GARDEN.
YOUR, YOUR CONCEPT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THAT WHICH WE EXPERIENCE TODAY IS SPECIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S BEING MAINTAINED SO BEAUTIFUL THAT LAUREN MEMORY LIVES WITH US EACH AND EVERY DAY.
I COULD USE HER IN MY ADMINISTRATION QUITE FRANKLY, 'CAUSE WE'RE A CAN-DO ADMINISTRATION.
AND WHEN I READ OF HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SHE HELPED MAKE HOUSTON THE GREAT CITY THAT IT IS TODAY.
HER WRITINGS, HER MENTORING YOUNG GIRL SCOUTS ATTEMPTING TO ACHIEVE THEIR MERIT BADGES, WRITING A BOOK WITH THE PROCEEDS GOING TO TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS.
SO GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN, THE MATERNITY WARD ARE RECEIVING HER LOVE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
SO FOR THAT, WE RECOGNIZE HER.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'LL NEVER FORGET LAUREN, SHE'S BEEN
[00:10:01]
RECOGNIZED ACROSS OUR NATION AS SUCH AN ACCOMPLISHED INDIVIDUAL THAT MET AN UNTIMELY AND YOUNG FATE.BUT SHE LIVES ON, AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD LEAVE HERE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF.
AND I'LL GO SO FAR AS TO SAY HER MOTHER PASSED RECENTLY, AND I KNOW THEY'RE REUNITED.
LET'S LEAVE HERE WITH THAT WONDERFUL STORY.
AND MY FAITH TEACHES ME THAT SOMEDAY WE'RE ALL GONNA BE REUNITED.
SO LET ME CLOSE BY SAYING THIS IS A SOLEMN OCCASION, BUT HOUSTONIANS ARE GONNA LEAVE HERE CELEBRATING LAUREN GRAN COLA'S LIFE.
IT'S IMPACTED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
AND I WILL ISSUE LAUREN'S CHALLENGE.
I BELIEVE SHE WAS, IF SHE WAS HERE TODAY, I LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO AS WE MEMORIALIZE THE SPECIAL PERSON THIS LOCATION, REALIZE OUR NATION IS STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE DIVIDED IN.
IN FACT, I THINK LAUREN, BRINGING US TOGETHER AS WE ARE THIS MORNING, I LOOK ACROSS OUR CROWD WITH OUTSTANDING ELECTED OFFICIALS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE'LL NEVER FORGET THE HEROES.
I THINK LAUREN, AS SHE DID AS A YOUNG HOUSTONIAN SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL, SHE BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER.
AND I'M GONNA SIT DOWN BY SAYING I'M GONNA TAKE HER CAN-DO ATTITUDE BACK TO CITY HALL.
AND I'M GOING TO TELL EVERYONE LAUREN'S STORY.
LARRY, I, I KNEW YOU BEFORE YOUR FAMILY'S TRAGEDY AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENGTH, YOUR COURAGE, AND WE NEED YOU IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO CONTINUE LAWRENCE CAN-DO ATTITUDE.
MAYOR AND I GO BACK A LONG WAY.
A LOT OF BAD GOLF SHOTS,
UH, THAT'S FROM ALL OF THE CZI FAMILY AND ALL OF THE VICTIM'S FAMILIES OF NINE 11.
FIRST, LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NINE 11.
I KNOW AS YOU SIT THERE, I CAN'T IMAGINE THIS HAS BEEN 25 YEARS.
LIFE PASSES US VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
I WANNA ESPECIALLY THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE MAYORS AND THE COUNCIL OVER THE YEARS WHO HAVE HELPED ME BUILD THIS PARK.
IT HONORS OBVIOUSLY A SPECIAL GROUP OF PEOPLE ALONG WITH BEING A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN THE EVENINGS TO COME AND ENJOY.
IT SHOULD BE AN UP, UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE AND HOPEFULLY IT IS FOR ALL OF YOU.
I WANT TO TAKE A SPECIAL MOMENT HERE TO THANK, AND I KNOW THEY'RE AROUND THIS.
WE WERE HERE THE OTHER DAY AND VISITING WITH THEM, BUT THE MAINTENANCE GROUP HERE FROM THE CITY OF NEW OF HOUSTON HAVE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB IN THE, THE UPKEEP OF THIS FACILITY, WHICH IS ALMOST 25 YEARS OLD.
IT TOOK US A YEAR TO BUILD, BUT I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON A, ON THE WONDERFUL
[00:15:01]
JOB THEY DO HERE AND THANK THEM SO MUCH.HOW ABOUT A ROUND APPLAUSE FOR THE MAINTENANCE GROUP? WHEN, WHEN I CAME HERE, WHEN THE MAYOR, AT THAT TIME, LEE BROWN AND I VISITED THIS PARK OR THIS LOCK, THIS UH, BLOCK, IT WAS NOTHING BUT A LOT OF PATHS, WARNING A LOT OF DIRT.
AND IT REALLY HAD GONE, IT HAD BEEN A CITY HALL AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THEN A MARKET SQUARE.
BUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IT HAD, BEFORE THAT IT HAD TURNED INTO JUST A WALKWAY.
THEN OF COURSE THESE HIGH RISES CAME IN.
WE BUILT THE DOG PARKS AND IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL ADDITION TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
I WANT TO THANK, UH, ALSO ANOTHER MEMBER WHO IS NOT HERE TODAY.
UH, JIM BAKKER, SECRETARY BAKKER, WHO WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL IN WORKING WITH ME ON PUTTING THIS WHOLE THING TOGETHER.
AND I MISSED JIM AND I WAS, THERE WAS HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, BUT I THINK SOMETHING CAME UP THAT THEY COULDN'T GET HERE.
BUT I WISH THE BAKKER FAMILY THE BEST.
THAT TREE THAT YOU SEE, THAT KIND OF SCALPED BARK OF A TREE WAS SEVEN FOOT WHEN WE PUT IT IN THERE FOR JIM WITH HIS PLAQUE ON THE BOTTOM.
HE WOULD'VE ENJOYED SEEING HIS, HIS PROGRESS.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LAUREN.
I KNOW PROBABLY SOME OF YOU HAVE READ IN THE PAPER AND SO ON, BUT ON A BALMY SEPTEMBER MORNING IN 2001, LAUREN CZI, GRAND COLA BOARDED UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 AT NEWARK AIRPORT IN NEW JERSEY, BOUND FOR SAN FRANCISCO.
SOME OF YOU'RE GONNA KNOW ALL OF THIS, BUT I WANT TO REITERATE THIS GAL WAS, SHE WAS OUR MIDDLE DAUGHTER.
AND IF YOU KNOW MIDDLE DAUGHTERS, THEY COME IN A DIFFERENT PACKAGE AND SHE CAME AT A DIFFERENT PACKAGE.
LAUREN WAS PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD AND VERY ANXIOUS TO GET HOME TO SEE HER HUSBAND.
SO AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, SHE DECIDED TO LEAVE A DAY EARLY, THEN PLANNED AND TOOK A FLIGHT DEPARTING THREE HOURS EARLIER THAN HER SCHEDULED FLIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 11.
IN ADDITION TO THE ATTACKS ON NEW YORK CITY AND WASHINGTON DC, LAUREN'S FLIGHT WAS HIJACKED.
THE HIJACKERS INTENDED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO WASHINGTON, DC WITH EITHER THE CAPITOL OR THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE PASSENGERS OF CREW OF FLIGHT 93 FOUGHT BACK THESE HIJACKERS, THEIR COURAGEOUS ACTIONS PREVENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM REACHING WASHINGTON.
FLIGHT 93 CRASHED NEAR THE SMALL TOWN OF SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA IN THE ALLEGHENY FOOTHILLS.
I'VE MADE 41 TRIPS TO THAT MEMORIAL AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE FAMILY ASSOCIATION AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FLIGHT 93 ASSOCIATION.
THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME BESIDES YOURSELVES, THE MOST WONDERFUL PEOPLE I'VE EVER COME ACROSS IN MY LIFE.
WE NEEDED PROPERTY BECAUSE THE PLANE CRASHED IN A COAL MINE AND WE COULDN'T OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE MEMORIAL THERE.
THERE WAS SIX LANDOWNERS IN THE VICINITY OR ON THE PROPERTY.
I NEGOTIATED WITH EACH ONE OF THEM.
SO THERE IS A MEMORIAL THERE OF ALMOST A THOUSAND ACRES AND A BEAUTIFUL MUSEUM, ALL WITH A FORTUNATE COOPERATION OF THOSE LONG-TERM RESIDENCE.
AND I WILL ALWAYS APPRECIATE THAT AS LONG AS I LIVE.
AT THE SAME TIME DURING THE NINE 11 COMMISSION, HAVING BEEN HAVING BEEN STARTED AND THEY CREATED THE, GOT A BUG COMING HERE AND THEY CREATED THE, UH, FLIGHT, THE FAMILIES OF FLIGHT 93 ORGANIZATION.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE CREATED THE LAUREN KATUSI GRANOLAS FOUNDATION TO DEVELOP A WAY TO HONOR LAUREN AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF THAT DAY.
[00:20:03]
ONE THAT WOULD RECOGNIZE THE EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM DEMONSTRATED BY THE PASSENGERS OF THAT PLANE.LAUREN'S FOUNDATION ALSO CREATED A LOCAL HIGH, A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE PRESENTED OVER A HUNDRED SCHOLARSHIPS TO LOCAL STUDENTS GOING ON TO COLLEGE.
AFTER MANY DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR FOUNDATION BOARD, WE DECIDED TO HONOR THE VICTIMS BY CREATING A MEMORIAL OF OUR OWN IN HOUSTON.
YOU SIT IN IT TODAY WITH ASSISTANCE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE MAYOR, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AND JOHN NOW, WHICH PROVIDED THE LAND AT MARKET SQUARE.
OUR FOUNDATION WORKED WITH ARCHITECTS, LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS, AND CONSTRUCTION FIRMS TO DESIGN AND BUILD WHAT BECAME MARKET SQUARE.
UPON ITS COMPLETION, OUR FOUNDATION GIFTED THE GARDEN BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAINTAIN.
YOU HEARD MAYOR WHITTIER'S COMMENTS EARLIER.
THEY'VE DONE A BEAUTIFUL, MARVELOUS JOB HERE FOR 25 YEARS.
TWO OF THE GENTLEMEN WERE HERE THE FIRST DAY I GOT HERE TO START THE DESIGN AND THEY'RE STILL HERE.
AND IF YOU HEAR ME OUT THERE, PAT ON YOUR BACK, LAUREN, IF YOU WALK AROUND TODAY OR IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, IS HONORED IN THE GARDEN WITH A BRONZE BUST AND PLAQUE SCULPTED BY THE DAUGHTER OF FORMER TEXAS, JOHN, TEXAS GOVERNOR JOHN CONLEY UPON, AND THE WATERFALL FEATURE, 2,977 STONES REPRESENTING THE LIVES THAT WERE LOST ON SEPTEMBER 11TH.
ATTACKS, LARGE BOULDERS RECOGNIZE THE LOCATIONS OF THE ATTACKED CITIES.
A TREE THAT I WAS POINTING TO BEFORE WAS IN HONOR OF JOHN, OF, OF SECRETARIAT, JAMES BAKER.
ALL OF THESE, ALL OF THESE THINGS LED TO THE FORMATION OF THIS PARK BEFORE HER DEATH.
LAUREN WROTE A BOOK OR WAS ST SCOUTING A BOOK AND HER SISTER'S FINISHED THIS BOOK CALLED YOU CAN DO IT.
AND IF THERE WAS EVER A YOU CAN DO IT, IT WAS LAUREN GRAND COLI.
SHE'D SAY TO ME, DAD, HOW'D YOU PLAY TODAY? I'D SAY, GOLLY, LAUREN, I WAS TERRIBLE.
WELL, THAT'S YOUR GAME,
BUT ANYWAY, UH, PROCEEDS FROM THAT BOOK, UH, HAVE GONE INTO THE FOUNDATION AND FOR SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE CITY, ALTHOUGH THE GARDEN WAS CREATED FOLLOWING A HORRIBLE DAY IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY AND OUR CITY'S HISTORY, A VISIT THERE IS MEANT TO BE PEACEFUL AND UPLIFTING.
AND I ALWAYS END WITH WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WOULD YOU, UH, BOW WITH ME IN PRAYER? ALMIGHTY AND GRACIOUS GOD, AS WE LEAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL GARDEN TODAY, WE DO SO WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS AND SOLEMN MEMORIES.
WE REMEMBER THE DAUGHTER WHOSE LIFE AND LOVE INSPIRED THIS SACRED PLACE.
WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE BESIDE HER ABOARD FLIGHT 93 AND ALL WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, AND THE FAMILIES WHO HAVE CARRIED THEIR ABSENCE THROUGH THE YEARS.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR A LOVE SO STRONG THAT IT REFUSES TO FORGET.
WE THANK YOU THAT FROM THE SOIL OF SORROW, THAT BEAUTY CAN STILL GROW.
THAT AMIDST GRIEF, KINDNESS CAN BLOSSOM.
AND THAT EVEN IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH, THAT HOPE CAN REACH TOWARDS THE LIGHT.
BLESS THE FATHER WHO CREATED THIS GARDEN IN HIS MEM DAUGHTER'S MEMORY.
MAY EVERY FLOWER THAT BLOSSOMS HERE SPEAK QUIETLY OF HER LIFE.
MAY EVERY PERSON WHO WALKS THESE PATHS BE REMINDED THAT
[00:25:01]
NO LIFE GIVEN AND LOVE IS EVER WASTED, AND NO ONE HELD IN OUR HEARTS HAS EVER TRULY FORGOTTEN.SEND US FROM THIS PLACE DETERMINED TO LIVE MORE FAITHFULLY, TO CHERISH OUR FAMILIES, TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS, TO COMFORT THOSE WHO GRIEVE AND REPLACE HATRED WITH COMPASSION, DIVISION WITH UNDERSTANDING AND FEAR WITH FAITH.
MAY THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT STRENGTHEN THOSE WHO STILL MOURN.
AND MAY THE PRINCE OF PEACE GUIDE OUR NATION AND MAY THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT REST UPON ALL OF US NOW AND FOREVERMORE.
IN THE NAME OF JESUS WE PRAY, AMEN.