More than 10,000 American flags covered the lawn outside Yampa Valley Bank in Craig on Sept. 11 as community members gathered to remember the lives lost 25 years ago and honor the first responders, military personnel and others whose lives were forever changed by the attacks.

The Never Forget 9/11 Flags of Honor Remembrance event was led by Moffat County High School senior Haley Duran, who worked with Yampa Valley Bank, local organizations, first responders and community volunteers to bring a longstanding Steamboat Springs tradition to Craig.

“As someone who was not yet born when the attacks occurred, I believe it is important, especially for my generation, to learn about that day, remember those lives that were lost and recognize the courage and sacrifice of the first responders and everyday Americans who stepped forward to help,” Duran told those gathered at the memorial.

For Duran, who belongs to a generation born after Sept. 11, 2001, the project offered a way to connect with an event she had previously known largely through history lessons, photographs and stories from those who experienced it.

Duran said the project grew from a similar event Yampa Valley Bank has supported in Steamboat Springs for about 11 years. After the possibility of bringing it to Craig was raised, she began working with bank representatives and her family to organize the display.

Planning included determining how the flags would be arranged, recruiting volunteers, coordinating with first responders and developing the remembrance ceremony. Duran said organizers consulted with those who had previously led the Steamboat event and used a grid system to position the flags across the lawn.

Volunteers from the Moffat County High School National Honor Society, cross country team, Key Club, Craig Rotary Club, Boys & Girls Club and others from the Moffat County community helped make the display possible.

For Duran, seeing thousands of flags stretched across the grass changed the way she understood the scale of the tragedy.

“It really brought into perspective the magnitude of the event, of that tragedy,” Duran said. “It really put into perspective how many first responders, how many people on the airplanes and then the devastation that occurred following.”

Duran said younger generations cannot fully understand what Americans experienced on Sept. 11, 2001, but they can continue learning about the attacks and empathizing with those who lived through them.

“We can never truly understand what it felt like on that day, what the magnitude was,” Duran said. “But we can begin to empathize and remember what the people went through on 9-11 in 2001.”

During the ceremony, Jeremy Garber, a local Veterans of Foreign Wars member and Army veteran, led those gathered in a moment of silence for law enforcement officers and first responders who died during the attacks as well as military personnel who died in the years that followed.

“Remember that 25 years ago today was a fundamental change in our country, in our service and in many of our lives,” Garber said.

Duran later told the crowd that each of the more than 10,000 flags represented remembrance rather than simply a number.

“We planted these flags because we never want those lives to become just numbers or a date in the history book,” Duran said. “We want to remember the people.”

Yampa Valley Bank’s Cathrine Blevins also thanked Duran and other individuals and organizations for contributing to the event while also recognizing first responders, veterans and military members for their continued service.

Duran said one of the most meaningful parts of organizing the memorial was hearing first responders describe where they were when the attacks occurred. For some, she said, Sept. 11 helped inspire their decision to enter public service.

She also noticed the community’s response before the formal ceremony began as she watched vehicles slow as they passed the display and saw people pull into the bank parking lot simply to take photographs.

“I think that was really profound because it showed me that the community cared about something like this,” Duran said.

The size of the crowd at the ceremony also surprised her.

“Even if I just impacted one person with that project, it would have been worth it,” Duran said. “So just to see that it’s impacted more than that has been incredible.”

In an interview after the event, Duran said the experience reinforced the importance of recognizing people who often work quietly to protect their community.

“There are so many people that work behind the scenes to keep us safe and they deserve to be honored and recognized by the community,” Duran wrote. “They are such important pieces of this town and they so often go unrecognized for the incredible, lifesaving work they do to keep everyone safe.”

She also said the project reminded her of how willing the Craig community is to rally around one another.

“I learned that this community will show up for events like this,” Duran wrote. “The amount of volunteers and attendees that came to the event was astounding and it made me so grateful to live in a place where the people will rally around each other.”

Duran said the experience also taught her how much she values community service and organizing events that bring people together, lessons she hopes to carry with her as she prepares for college and adulthood.

“This event truly was a team effort and I could not have made it happen without every person who helped along every step of the process,” Duran wrote.

She said the project reminded her that she has a large support system that will continue to be there as she looks toward the future.

Duran hopes the Flags of Honor memorial continues in Craig for years to come and inspires other opportunities to recognize first responders, military personnel and other “unsung heroes” of the community.

As the ceremony concluded, thousands of small flags remained across the bank lawn, each serving as a fluttering reminder of a life, a family and a moment in history that Duran hopes future generations will continue to remember.

“Together we can honor and make sure our community never forgets,” Duran said.