Fort Mill, SC
PCI Group, one of the nation’s leading document delivery and rapid outbound mail service providers, is holding a special memorial event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. PCI’s “Celebrate Life” event will be held on Sunday, September 11th at its headquarters in Fort Mill (Lancaster County), South Carolina. It will be attended by the company’s 94 employees and their families, as well as local dignitaries including U.S. Congressman Mick Mulvaney (5th District, SC), South Carolina State Senator Greg Gregory, South Carolina House Representative Deborah Long, Lancaster County Councilmember & Vice Chairman Larry Honeycutt, Lancaster County Councilman Larry McCullough and Pleasant Valley Fire Chief Greg Nicholson.
The event is scheduled to begin at 2 PM and include a picnic and children’s activities. The highlight of the event, at 4:00 PM, will be the unveiling and dedication of a 9/11 memorial monument by PCI Group President and CEO Christian Kropac, Jr. Comments will follow by U.S. Congressman Mulvaney and other elected officials.
The 9/11 monument features two towers (symbolic of the Twin Towers attacked on 9/11) which are constructed of 100% solid, jet black granite with a polished mirror finish. Inscribed on the front of the base of the towers are three commemorative passages: “We Will Always Remember September 11, 2001”, “Dedicated to Those Who Lost Their Lives and the Brave Who Gave Theirs”, and “God Bless America.” As a reminder for future generations, the expressions “Celebrate Life” and “Salute America and Its Heroes” are inscribed on the back of the base. Between the towers is a handcrafted bronze eternal flame. Framing the monument are two benches and four flags: the American flag, a 9/11 flag, the South Carolina flag, and the PCI Group flag. The monument was constructed by Gaulden Monuments Inc. in Rock Hill, SC.
For PCI Group, a company founded in 1970 and based in New York until its relocation to Fort Mill (Lancaster County), South Carolina in September 2008, the events of 9/11 hit hard. With deep roots, including a former office space in 5 World Trade Center in the late 80’s, and family ties to New York, the attacks on the Twin Towers left indelible scars and losses for many of the company’s employees just as it affected other Americans, and especially New Yorkers. When asked why he had the monument built, PCI President and CEO Kropac thought instantly of his two children, Christian, now 10, and Carissa, age 7. He wanted them to understand the significance of a “day that changed our nation…and our world forever.”
“Coming from New York, we felt the impact of this event in a way only New Yorkers understand. We just had to do something to honor those who lost their lives and the many brave first responders who sacrificed theirs to try to save others,” said Kropac. “This is our generation’s Pearl Harbor and I wanted my kids and other children to understand what happened and how the world was profoundly changed by the events of 9/11 not just in New York, but in Washington and Pennsylvania.”
Kropac continued, “I was recently in New York City with my son celebrating his birthday and saw the movie, “Captain America,” which had a hero and a villain as many movies do. After the movie, my son, nephew and I went down to Freedom Center, where the Twin Towers once stood. I started explaining to my son what happened there on 9/11 and he kept asking, Why Daddy? I had to explain to him that, just like in the movie we saw, there are real good men and evil men in the world.”
“We then went to my nephew’s Manhattan apartment and watched a 9/11 documentary and my son saw the actual footage of the planes hitting the Twin Towers and couldn’t believe that it was real and not just a movie,” continued Kropac. “And again he asked, But why Daddy? When a photo of Bin Laden came on, I told him that he was one of the evil men responsible for the attacks. So, when someone asks why we have made this investment in a 9/11 monument on private grounds, I tell them, that’s why. Because I want my kids to know what happened and never forget.”
While the event will be highlighted by the solemn memorial dedication, it was designed to also “Celebrate Life.” The picnic and children’s activities, from arts and crafts, waterslide, Slip n’ Slide, dunking booth, Dalmation moon bounce, clown, balloons, face painting, tattoos and mini fire truck rides are all about living and celebrating life. Commemorative t-shirts and children’s gift bags will also be provided to PCI employees and families.
