- October 5, 2026
The City of Palm Coast marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday, Sept. 11, with the annual Candlelight Memorial Service at Heroes Memorial Park.
Palm Coast Fire Department Deputy Chief Bradd Clark served as master of ceremonies for the event, which featured remarks from Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris, an invocation from Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Dominic Scardigno, a firefighter memorial bell tolling led by Palm Coast Fire Department Chaplain Chris Cottle, and a benediction from Father Sergio Santos of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
Over 100 residents gathered to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day and the thousands who have succumbed to illnesses suffered from working at ground zero in lower Manhattan.
The attendees joined Berryhill, Norris, Cottle and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly in lighting candles at dusk.
Local resident Shelley Bennett performed the “Star Spangled Banner.” Paul Shelton of Redemption Church in Daytona Beach performed “God Bless America.” And the Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard Pipe and Drum led “Amazing Grace.”
“Being intentional about remembering the events of 9/11 isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s a ‘must-have’ and it’s our duty to teach future generations to never forget,” Berryhill said. “The responsibility to carry the story forward is our responsibility, and this event is just one way that we are able to fulfill it.”
