‘Weber Remembers’ event being planned for 20th anniversary of 9/11

ROY, Utah — One person closely following the latest events in Afghanistan is Jennie Taylor. Her husband, and North Ogden mayor, Major Brent Taylor was killed there three years ago.

She decided to plan an event in Weber County to remember Sept. 11, the day that changed the world 20 years ago and ultimately got the U.S. involved in Afghanistan.

Taylor said it might just be her biggest project yet.

Anybody with city business to do knows you have to be at City Hall during normal hours, but when you’re Jennie Taylor, and your business involves honoring those professions who don’t follow the 9-to-5, doors stay open.

“We’re talking about military, medical, fire and police professionals,” she said.

Taylor and friend, Amanda King, picked up a donation box after hours at Roy City Hall.

It was full of snacks that will be put into care packages for those first responders.

“Things like Kind bars, Chex mix, drink mixes, anything really,” said King, who put the large box into the back of her car.

It’s part of a larger donation drive for a big event Taylor is planning for the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

She figured somebody had to do something.

With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 coming up, Jennie Taylor wanted to do something. So, she's organizing a huge event at the Weber County fairgrounds with fire and police depts., medical workers, and the military. We'll have a preview of it for @KSL5TV at 10. #ksltv pic.twitter.com/Le3H57vAgr

— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) August 27, 2021

“We as a country, 20 years ago, said we will never forget,” said Taylor. “We put it on t-shirts, we put it on billboards, it was on commercials. We loved America. We flew our flags, and I think quite honestly, until very recently, a lot of us did forget.”

The event she’s planning is called Weber Remembers.

It will be held Sept. 9, 10 and 11 at the Weber County Fairgrounds.

It will feature exhibits, photographs, memorial speeches and first responders from throughout Weber County who will be there with their equipment to talk to people.

“20 years has gone by quick,” said Battalion Chief Jake Rast of the Roy Fire Department.

Rast helped organize several departments to bring their fire trucks, police cars and even a medical helicopter to the fairgrounds.

“The community support has been great,” he said. “I can’t even imagine what it was like on that day. 9/11 comes up quite a bit in fire stations because that was such a big, terrible thing that happened.”

It led to the war in Afghanistan, where Taylor lost her husband, Major Brent Taylor, in 2018.

With so many fresh emotions about what’s happening over there now, Taylor knows the timing of this anniversary will mean even more to lots of people.

“We all feel like we want to do something, so we feel like this ‘Weber Remembers’ event is a chance to do something,” she said.

Close to 3,000 grade-school students will take field trips to the fairgrounds to see the exhibits.

If you would like to volunteer to be a part of it, you can click here.