Nearly a decade has passed since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, but Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Dino Cesarini said it doesn't get any easier.

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"You would think that with time it would heal but every year on 9/11 we never forget," he said.

The Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue headquarters will be one of many places around Augusta pausing to remember the more than 2,000 lives lost.

The ceremony on Sept. 11 has been a tradition since the attacks in 2001, Cesarini said.

It's the one time of the year the country comes together to mourn, he said. Unlike other commemorations, Patriot Day has not become commercialized and Cesarini said he hopes it never does.

Augusta State students will pause today to remember.

Lt. Col. Karen Roe, the chairwoman of the Department of Military Science, said it's a way for students, the community, Fort Gordon and reserve officers in training to come together.

"The students like the ceremony because they see the speakers giving a balanced view," she said. "It's not any kind of political message. It's just a memorial."

While all other ceremonies across Augusta are solemn moments to reflect and mourn, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 649 chose a different path.

An all-day event, called America's Strength, includes food, a turkey shoot, patriotic music, high-rise balloons, a silent auction and more.

"We're certainly not celebrating people's death," said Denise Joye, the special events coordinator. "We're celebrating the sacrifices that they gave."

Representatives from law enforcement, the fire department, nurses and a wounded warrior flown in from Fort Worth, Texas, will be honored on Sept. 11.

"Every time that bell rings, a firefighter is risking his life. Let us not forget that," Joye said. "This is for the spouses that wait at home and the soldiers that go to war. We're proud of them and we want to recognize our strength in America."

This is the first year for the event at VFW Post 649. All money raised will benefit veterans.