Thank you to all those who said "I Will" and helped reach our goal of uniting more than one million Americans through acts of service and good deeds to honor the victims, heroes and all those who rose in service in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that forever changed our nation. The anniversary milestone served as an extraordinarily powerful motivator for engagement, bringing together both service veterans and those new to volunteering while remembering all the lives we lost 10 years ago.

9/11 nonprofit MyGoodDeed and HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation division of Points of Light Institute, partnered with the 9/11 community and other service organizations to create organized service opportunities across the country for people to pay tribute on the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. MyGoodDeed, born out of 9/11 families, led an eight-year campaign culminating with the official establishment of Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The 9/11 Memorial, Business Civic Leadership Center of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AARP, The Mission Continues and the Corporation for National and Community Service also served as leadership organizations. Many other national service organizations also participated actively in promoting the observance in collaboration with these principal organizations.

To achieve the goal of one million acts of service, large-scale volunteer service projects were organized by HandsOn Network affiliates in 24 major cities. Smaller projects were held across the country including school transformations, park and monument revitalization, emergency preparedness trainings and more.

In New York City, despite threats and traffic restrictions, New York Cares' service projects engaged hundreds of partners, funders, 9/11 families and members of our armed forces. In Washington, D.C., HandsOn Greater DC Cares organized more than 12,000 volunteers, increasing participation more than 80 percent from previous years. Boston Cares created an emotional display of flags in the ground, one for each individual lost, and in San Francisco, HandsOn Bay Area shared a film series and engaged individuals in thoughtful discussion on what it means to be an American.

Over the next few days we will continue to reflect and share stories from 9/11 Day. In the meantime, we hope you'll be moved and inspired by photos from our service projects across the country: http://www.flickr.com/photos/handsonnetwork1/sets/72157627654517742/

9/11 Day is more than just one day; it is a call to action that taps the American ideal of giving back. We mourn, we remember, and we act upon our best instinct to serve and to help others.

Reflections of 9/11 Day in the media:

• The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-j-mcclimon/911-anniversary-service_b_953769.html
• NBC Bay Area: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Volunteering_Since_9_11_Bay_Area-129351308.html
• Real Simple: http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/remembering-9-11-the-national-day-of-service-00100000063968/index.html

9/11 Day was supported by leadership contributor American Express who inspired thousands of employees and customers to act and remember with the launch of their I WILL VOLUNTEER Facebook application. National contributors included Chase, the events mobilization partner who focused on military families and veterans; Best Buy whose support enabled thousands to upload stories and post tributes on 911day.org; and GlaxoSmithKline, whose investment provided more than one million teachers with lesson plans and age-appropriate service projects. Additional national supporters included Target, Bank of America, Holland & Knight, KBW, Northrop Grumman, Neiman Marcus, University of Phoenix and UPS, along with media partners Clear Channel, Viacom, AOL, GGP, NASCAR, Groupon and in-kind support from the Gap Inc.