Honoring those who ran toward danger

First responders were among those who gave their lives that morning, and among those who stayed through the recovery that followed. WTC Connect keeps their place in the story visible — in photographs, memorabilia, and the accounts we share with students and the public.

We do not treat their service as a footnote. When we teach the events of September 11, we teach the people who ran into the towers, who cleared the roads, who searched the ruins, and who carried communities through the days after.

My commitment to all first responders is deeply personal. It was due to them that so many of us made it through 9/11 and thereafter; their bravery, commitment and cooperation was a model for our children. Yet, when first responders started getting sick from the pollutants from 9/11, no workers' compensation was available to help them. No OSHA compensation was coming to assist. They were on their own. Finally, after enough complaints, the WTC Fund was created to allow those who were ill to apply for compensation. The paperwork, however, was very difficult to navigate, and many were denied routinely. When I opened my office, The Kamber Law Group, we offered pro bono and low cost assistance to first responders on many topics, but specifically to assist them with the WTC Fund.

In the years after 9/11, I needed to address my own inner voice. So, I created WTC Connect and created one of the largest collections of pre-9/11 memorabilia. Since then, we have hosted shows and programs to raise funds, education, and awareness. We also use these shows to raise money for first responders, especially those in the Lehigh Valley. We have raised money and support for a variety of worthy causes and charities, including Voices of 9/11, Tunnels to Towers and the Red Cross.