A traveling Sept. 11 memorial will visit Massachusetts for the first time when it rolls into Stoneham to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the town’s fire station and Girl Scouts.
The 9/11 Never Forget Exhibit will be escorted by local and State Police on Friday when it arrives in a 53 ft. tractor-trailer at about 2 p.m. at Showcase Cinemas in Woburn. From there, it will be brought to the Stoneham Fire Station on Central Street.
The public is asked to line the route as the exhibit passes along Routes 128 and 28 into Stoneham. The exhibit includes pieces of steel beam from the World Trade Center.
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“We feel that as we celebrate the anniversary of our building, we also recognize that the individuals who inhabit this building — and all fire houses — share a bond and a history of service and sacrifice,” said Stoneham Fire Captain Jim Marshall in a statement. “This exhibit will serve as a reminder of the challenges we all face every day as we are called to duty.”
The memorial is run by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation , which was created by the family of Siller, a New York City firefighter who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In 2013, the foundation built the mobile memorial, which unfolds into a 1,000 square foot educational space.
It will be open to the public on Saturday from 10:30 a .m. to 3 p.m. in front of Stoneham Town Hall.
The exhibit is just one of many events planned for Saturday celebrating firefighters and Girl Scouts. Tours will be given of the station. Antique fire trucks and cars will also be displayed.
“This is going to be a great event that commemorates not only the history of the fire department, but our town and Girl Scouts,” said Tara Lawler, co-chairwoman of the celebration committee.
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At 10 a.m. a parade steps off from the South School on Summer Street, and will process about a half-mile to the fire station at 25 Central St. Floats will honor both the fire department and Girl Scouts.
Grand marshals will be Shirley Murray, a lifetime Girl Scout member, and retired Fire Chief Ray Sorenson and retired Lt. Bob Marshall.
After the parade, five new firefighters will be sworn in to the department. At noon, a ceremony at Stoneham Firefighter Memorial Park will include the reading of the names of deceased firefighters.
“We’re extremely excited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our fire station,” Stoneham Fire Chief Matt Grafton said in a statement. “On top of that, this event will serve as an excellent opportunity to honor our fallen heroes who gave their lives on September 11th.”
Samantha Gross can be reached at samantha.gross@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthajgross