"Amazing Grace," played by bagpipes, greeted the crowd. A memorial was set up in the middle of the mall with a white fence surrounding a blanket of black velvet.
In the fence was a folded U.S. flag with a single red rose lying on top of it. Also, a wreath made of red and white carnations was accompanied by a painting of a beautiful yellow flower and a tower painted with a field of pink and purple flowers.
Flowers were the theme of the memorial service. The committee of the 5,000 Flowers Project held the event, hosted by the University Mall.
"(The 5,000 Flowers Project) is a national grassroots arts endeavor where artists were invited to paint flowers in remembrance of the victims of the attacks," said Anke Gassen, a member of the four-person committee in charge of the project.
The event at the mall included the singing of the national anthem by Carl Johnson. Aaron Nelson, executive director of the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce, then spoke.
"One year, 10 hours and 15 minutes ago, out lives changed forever," Nelson began. "Some in our community lost those that they loved. Many of us knew someone who died in the attacks."
After Nelson spoke, he invited the people in the crowd to share their thoughts in an open microphone ceremony. Many people shared stories, many people read poems, and some read prayers. At one point, members of the crowd clasped hands with one another to let a very powerful poem sink in.
One Chapel Hill resident, Mariana Fiorentino, handed out homemade inspirational bookmarks with a picture of a sunflower and a haiku on them.
"I used a photograph I had taken and wrote a haiku. It reads: 'Stand tall, proud, as one/To honor all those we lost/Faces toward heaven,'" said Fiorentino. "It's kind of doing my teeny tiny little part to bring some joy."
