HONOLULU — The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) held a ceremony Thursday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost.

During the ceremony, Running 4 Heroes youth runner Raiden Barrientos presented Honolulu Chief of Police David Lazar with a Freedom Flag and a piece of steel from the World Trade Center. The steel, on loan from the Freedom Flag Foundation, serves as a tangible connection to the events of Sept. 11 and the lives forever changed by the attacks.

“As we mark 25 years since Sept. 11, we remember the lives lost and the courage and sacrifice of the first responders who answered the call that day,” Chief Lazar said. “We are grateful to the Freedom Flag Foundation for entrusting us with these meaningful symbols of remembrance and to Raiden and our fellow first responders for helping ensure the sacrifices of those we honor are never forgotten.”

The Freedom Flag was created following the Sept. 11 attacks as a national symbol of remembrance, honoring those who lost their lives and recognizing the families and first responders impacted by the events of that day.

Barrientos is also a member of HPD’s Law Enforcement Explorers Program (L.E.E.P). On Sept. 8, HPD officers and members of the Honolulu Fire Department joined Raiden for a remembrance run at HPD’s Ke Kula Mākaʻi Police Training Academy.

The World Trade Center steel piece will be displayed at the HPD Museum for an extended period before being transferred to the Honolulu Fire Department for display in its museum.

As the nation observes the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 on Friday, Chief Lazar will represent HPD at the Mayor’s 25th Anniversary September 11 Remembrance Ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Eternal Flame outside Honolulu Hale. The ceremony will honor those who lost their lives and the first responders who demonstrated courage, service and sacrifice in the aftermath of the attacks.