News Flash

A commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be held Saturday, Sept. 11, at Ronald W. Reagan High School in conjunction with the city’s 9/11 Public Safety Challenge for local Junior ROTC Units. The school is at 3750 Transou Road, Pfafftown.

The commemoration will begin at 9:11 a.m. and will be held in the school gymnasium. State and local elected officials will speak, along with a representative of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

The commemoration will be followed by a resumption of the annual 9/11 Public Safety Challenge, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic.

JROTC cadets from high schools in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will compete in marksmanship, close-order drill and a “raider” (obstacle) course that combines elements of the police physical abilities test and the fire physical ability test. The winning unit will take home the Public Safety Challenge Cup, a perpetual trophy that is passed to the winner from one year to the next.

Both events are free and open to the public. Masks will be required inside the school.

The Public Safety Challenge is sponsored by the Winston-Salem Police and Fire departments, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Forsyth County Emergency Medical Service. The event is designed to give JROTC cadets an opportunity to learn more about careers in public safety.

In conjunction with the Public Safety Challenge, the public safety agencies are providing a $5,000 sponsorship to the Military Science program of the city-county schools, which oversees the high school JROTC units.