FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
August 19, 2026

Orlando VA Healthcare System to Host
25^th Anniversary 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

Orlando, Fla. — The Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS) will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in the first-floor canteen lobby of the Orlando VA Medical Center located at 13800 Veterans Way, Orlando Fl, 32827. RSVP to attend the ceremony here.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The ceremony will honor and remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day, recognize the courage and sacrifice of first responders, and pay tribute to the service members and Veterans who answered the nation's call in the years that followed.

"Twenty-five years later, we still carry the weight of that day — but we also carry forward the spirit of unity and service it inspired," said Timothy J. Cooke, OVAHCS Director/CEO. "This ceremony is our opportunity to honor those we lost, thank those who answered the call, and remind our Veterans that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten."

The keynote speaker will be Steve Dailey, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former New York City Police Department officer. Dailey enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1984 and joined the NYPD in 1992, where he served as an undercover officer in the Organized Crime Control Bureau. At the ceremony, he will share a first-hand account of his role in recovery efforts on the day the Twin Towers fell.

The ceremony is open to Veterans, their families, VA employees, and members of the community.

Join OVAHCS as we come together to remember those we lost, honor the courage and sacrifice of those who answered the call, and reflect on the enduring spirit of service and unity that followed Sept. 11.

Media representatives interested in attending or coordinating media engagements are encouraged to contact the Office of Public Affairs by emailing vhaorlpublicaffairs@va.gov or by calling 407-840-6967.

To learn more about the facilities and services offered by the OVAHCS, please visit: VA Orlando Health Care | Veterans Affairs, subscribe to receive email updates by clicking here, like us on Facebook at: Orlando VA Healthcare System | Facebook, follow us on Instagram at: Orlando VA Healthcare System (@ovahcs), or on Twitter/X at: @OVAHCS.

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Established in October 2006, the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS) was designated a 1a facility (most complex) in 2021, with more than 5,660 employees and an annual budget of $2.4B and serves more than 149,000 Veterans in Central Florida. The Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona provides outpatient, inpatient, and emergency services. Lake Nona’s 65-acre medical campus encompasses 134 acute inpatient beds, providing complex Medical/Surgical/Mental Health specialty care, advanced diagnostic services, and a large multispecialty outpatient clinic, as well as a 120-bed Community Living Center, two Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs/Domiciliaries (60-beds located at the Lake Nona Campus and 56 beds at the Lake Baldwin Campus). Outpatient services are provided at a Health Care Center in Viera, a Multispecialty Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Daytona Beach, and five Community-Based Outpatient Clinics located in Clermont, Lake Baldwin, Kissimmee, Deltona, Palm Bay and Tavares.