The 4th annual Mayor's Remembrance Walk yesterday gave young and old time to pause from their busy Labor Day weekend.

During the commemoration, they reflected on the 3,000 deaths that occurred when terrorists in hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a field in rural Pennsylvania. They also took the time to recognize the work of Honolulu's first responders — firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel and civil defense volunteers — who often are the ones running toward danger, not away, said Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

"I urge all of you to continue to pray for the families suffering loss of 9/11 and the armed services personnel who lay their life on the line every day they go out," Hannemann said. "I'm so grateful for what they do."

A crowd of about 150 people, from toddlers to high schoolers to senior citizens, walked about a mile from the Honolulu Police Department headquarters on Beretania Street to the Honolulu Fire Department headquarters on Halekauwila Street and ended at Honolulu Hale, where the lights shone patriotic red, white and blue.

Betsy Toma, a Hawai'i Kai resident, said the 9/11 terrorist attacks are particularly painful because they touched someone she cared about. But besides that one person killed, Toma said she always thinks about all those people who died and how the world changed after the attacks.

"We're here to support other Americans," Toma said. "It helps make it real for us."

Said her husband, Stan Toma: "It makes me remember that something so tragic like this could happen again."

It was eight years ago when most of Honolulu was asleep when the attacks occurred at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Since that time, the damage to the Pentagon was cleared and repaired within a year. And a new 1,776-foot building is being built at the site of the World Trade Center.

Lois Bunin, a Kaka'ako resident, came to the remembrance event even though walking is difficult. She rode in her scooter.

She said she attended because she wanted to pay her respects to those from Hawai'i who lost their lives in the attacks.

"It was a terrible thing that happened for America," Bunin said. "I will forgive, but I can never forget."

A large group of McKinley High School history students attended the remembrance walk. They did it not so much to remember; they were only in grade school at the time. They did it for extra credit.

"I don't really remember anything," said Michelle Lau, 16. "I woke up that morning and my parents told me what had happened.

"But I do know it's brought everyone together."