Chicago native Gary Marlon Suson, an FDNY Hon. Battalion Chief who served 7 months as the official photographer at Ground Zero for the FDNY is donating a large cache of his image collection for the 9/11 Museum set to open at Barrington High School in Illinois.
The opening on September 10, 2021 will honor the 20th anniversary of the attacks on The World Trade Center. The 9/11 Museum at Barrington will feature 100 Images and Artifacts along with BOSE audio stories narrating the history behind each display. It is a recreation of the 5-star rated 9/11 Museum Workshop in New York, a two-time winner of Trip Advisor’s prestigious “Top 25 Museums in the USA” Award.
The new Museum and 1.5-hour BOSE audio tour will initially be open only to students in the Barrington school district. Suson — who suffered lung damage from his extensive time served at WTC — called upon 9/11 families and firefighters he is close with to assist him with creating the exhibit by way of loaning rare artifacts culled from Ground Zero.
“This exhibit is high-enough caliber to be in any major city but I chose Barrington, Illinois because it’s where I spent my childhood and have so many special memories. I want to give back to the Chicago area which I so dearly love and I want the next generation of kids to learn first-hand about this historical event that inspired true bravery,” says Suson. “Just as there are Anne Frank education centers around the world — I don’t see why there cannot also be education centers for September 11 around the USA.”
Suson was raised in Barrington Hills and attended Barrington High School. He began conversations with the Barrington School District about creating a Museum after they presented him with the 2019 Distinguished Graduate Award for Humanitarianism for his photographic work at the World Trade Center as the only photographer in the world granted full 24/7 access to every area at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. His image collection has raised charitable monies for FDNY and 9/11-related charities, garnishing him support from numerous victims’ families and FDNY firefighters.
Read more here. To reserve a performance date and time at Barrington High School, click here.
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