Lehi People
Lehi unites in service and honors local heroes during 9/11 Day of Service
Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press
Lehi residents united for the fifth annual Lehi Serves Day of Service and a moving honor ceremony on Saturday, Sept.12, 2026, turning a day of remembrance into a powerful wave of community action.
9/11 Day began with one simple yet powerful idea: Let’s transform the anniversary of one of our darkest days in history into America’s largest day of doing good. Now, 25 years later, this transformation has swept across the country and throughout Lehi City.
Saturday’s Day of Service, hosted by the Lehi Serves coalition, kicked off with hundreds of volunteers gathering at various city parks to clean and improve the grounds. Meanwhile, others met at Willow Creek Middle School to assemble food kits, stuff teddy bears, tie blankets, and complete many other service projects. Following the volunteer activities, a special closing honor ceremony took place, where local service heroes received the “Lehi City Service of Excellence Award.”
During the ceremony, dozens of citizens, families, and local students from Skyridge and Lehi high schools gathered to honor the lives and heroes lost on September 11, 2001.
The ceremony featured heartfelt speeches and musical performances from both high schools’ choirs. Community leaders, student body officers and Lehi City Mayor Paul Binns participated in the program by flying the colors and sharing reflections on first responder bravery and community service.
Mayor Binns noted that “the hundreds of people serving today can change Lehi for the better.”
The ceremony concluded with the mayor highlighting the impactful community service of a few local heroes.
The following awards were presented:
The Heart of Service Award recognizes individuals who have shown exceptional volunteerism and community service. The recipients of this award included:
Gig Griffith – recognized for his “long-standing dedication as a student council advisor who empowers countless young leaders to excel in higher education and professional organizations, and the energetic spirit that has earned him a reputation for boundless enthusiasm.”
Cindy Kramer – awarded for dedicating “nearly 3,000 volunteer hours to Thanksgiving Point, bringing boundless creativity and warmth to Ashton Gardens, the Butterfly Biosphere, and Curiosity Farms.”
Diane and Alan Knight and their grandson, Luke Knight – awarded for bringing “extraordinary warmth and sweetness to the Lehi Ronald McDonald House Family Room. Every single Saturday night, this dedicated trio transforms a beloved weekly home routine into a powerful act of community service by baking batches of delicious homemade cookies.”
JustServe Hero Award recognizes individuals and organizations who dedicate their time, talents, and effort to improving the community and making Lehi City the best place to live.
Three recipients were honored, including a youth, an adult, and a local business:
Youth Recipient – Enoch Streadbeck has “generously dedicated over 167 hours during the summers of 2025 and 2026 to mentor and uplift local children and families.”
Adult Recipient – Katie Bunnell stands “as a radiant example of resilience, turning profound personal loss into a catalyst for life-changing community support through her foundation, ‘Live Your Dream,’ ensuring single mothers across Utah receive scholarships for college, vocational training and support with their families.”
Business Recipient – Strata Networks has “partnered with Lehi City to undertake impactful community service projects such as revitalizing Willow Park by installing horseshoe pits and a swing set and Dry Creek Park in which they removed 300 feet of old asphalt trail, prepped new alignments, and mobilized their entire staff to prune overgrown hillside vegetation, clear weeds, and replace bark mulch.”
The ceremony offered a graceful tribute to the many inspiring individuals who dedicate countless hours to serving the Lehi community.
“Being recognized today means a lot for me; turning pain into purpose is how the ‘Live your Dream’ foundation started and the reason I love to serve,” said Bunnell, recipient of the JustServe Hero Award.
“Service is truly the best form of medicine. When we shift our focus from ourselves to the needs of others, it transforms our soul – and that is what service has done for me,” added Bunnell. “I am honored to receive this service award.”
Diane and Alan Knight and their grandson, Luke, received the “Heart of Service Award.”
“On Saturday nights, Luke hangs out with grandma and grandpa, and we wanted to make this time special,” said Diane Knight. “I read an article in the Lehi Free Press about the Lehi Ronald McDonald House Family Room, and it piqued my interest.
“I reached out and asked if we could make cookies at the house for the families staying there, and this weekly routine has really become something special that Alan and I do with our grandson. Families at the house now have a sweet treat during difficult times,” said Diane Knight.
Luke added that they “make chocolate chip cookies,” which are his favorite. He said that he “adds the M&M’s to the cookies and turns the oven on.”
“This is such a fun thing that we do and a wonderful way to serve,” Diane Knight concluded.
Not only is the service highlighted important, but the community that comes together and the way people feel when they gather for a purpose that is outside of themselves is so powerful.
“This event is for Lehi and the surrounding area. It’s a contagious, happy feeling, and it’s my favorite day of the year,” said Abby Hughes, a founding member of the Lehi Serves Coalition.
Bringing the community together, the Day of Service event honored 9/11 victims, recognized local heroes, and launched a day of dedicated service in Lehi.
