'We don't forget': 9/11 memorial staff continues to honor seven-year tradition and place a white rose on the names of victims to celebrate their birthdays

Workers at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum are still placing white roses on the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died, showing that the victims have not been forgotten in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

While the space is closed to the public, along with a vast majority of New York City, staff are still actively honoring the memory of those who died.

'Being able to demonstrate that we don't forget, we don't forget that these lives were individual people with families and hobbies and careers, challenges, they were people like us who were killed on 9/11, and it's people like us who are dying every day from this horrible pandemic,' Alice Greenwald, the President & CEO of National September 11 Memorial and Museum, explained to Spectrum News. 

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While the space is closed to the public, along with a vast majority of New York City, staff are still actively honoring the memory of those who died

9/11 Memorial continues to lay out white birthday roses amid pandemic

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David Sheehan, the organization's chief financial officer, had to perform the ceremony once last month. The task was then handed over to security guards on the grounds. 

'It was interesting, I was sought of placing the names on the roses and I was looking out at the empty memorial plaza that is usually filled with thousands of people,' said Sheehan. 

'I wound up feeling a tremendous amount of pride at the thought that I was able to be part of a team of people that were going to be able to keep this very important tradition alive.'

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The last time staff performed the ceremony was in March. Security guards have since taken over

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A florist has been donating the flowers since the start of the tradition, seven years ago

A florist has been donating the flowers since the start of the tradition, seven years ago.   

The organization has been taking photos to document the moment as families and loved ones can not come during the shelter-in-place.

The memorial honors at least two people a day, every single week of the year.  

For those working at the memorial, there are parallels between the two tragic events. 

'The connection with 9/11 is what we call 9/12, which is the way this city and the nation responded after 9/11. We're seeing 9/12 all over again,' said Greenwald. 'Every night in New York City, the fire trucks, the first responders from 9/11 are out there in front of the hospital doors cheering on the medical workers.' 

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The organization has been taking photos to document the moment as families and loved ones can not come during the shelter-in-place