'Carry the Load' leads cemetery cleanup for 9/11 Patriot Day

ST. LOUIS - Thursday marks 24 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and Patriot Day has become a national day of service and remembrance, with events happening across the country, including in St. Louis.

The non-profit group 'Carry The Load' is leading a major cleanup effort at more than 60 cemeteries, including Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, where volunteers will clean headstones and beautify the grounds.

Organizers emphasize that these events are proactive ways to connect Americans to the sacrifices made by military and first responder communities. So far, 110 volunteers are already registered for the event at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

The initiative is a part of the organization's annual nationwide Patriot Day event, which has been hosted since 2019. The group also organizes volunteer events on Memorial Day and Veterans Day to honor and remember the nation's heroes.

You can still register to volunteer for Thursday's event at Jefferson Barracks by clicking here.

Additionally, a breakfast event is being held at the Panorama Restaurant at the St. Louis Art Museum to launch the 2026 Flags of Valor Memorial at Art Hill. The breakfast will honor the lives lost on 9/11 and the thousands of U.S. service members killed in the War on Terror. Details of the 25th anniversary Flags of Valor Memorial, set to return next year, will also be revealed at the event.

Organizers describe next year's event as the most expansive Flags of Valor event to date, serving as a living timeline of sacrifice and a sacred space for remembrance.

The memorial will feature a expansive photo walls honoring the 2,565 civilian victims, over 7,800 full-size American flags, with 412 flags specifically honoring the first responders who died on 9/11. Additional flags will recognize those lost to post-service trauma and 9/11-related illnesses.

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