25 years after 9/11, Idaho Falls gala aims to reignite support for first responders

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – "Never forget" became America's promise after Sept. 11, 2001. Twenty-five years later, Idaho Falls resident Travis Snowder is asking whether the country has kept it.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the coordinated terrorist attacks, but the images that remain seared into America's collective memory are also those of firefighters, police officers, and other first responders rushing toward danger to save strangers.

Snowder is the co-chair of Heroes Defense, a nonprofit raising funds for local first responders at an upcoming gala. One of the keynote speakers at the event will be Navy SEAL Team 6 veteran Rob O'Neill, who led the raid on Osama Bin Laden. Other speakers include retired New York City Fire Department Captain Kevin Calhoun and former Navy SEAL and performance coach Ray "Cash" Care.

Snowder says the decision of New York firefighters to face the danger, knowing it would cost them their lives, made Sept. 12, 2001, "the most unified our country has ever been in my lifetime."

"We came together as a country. We recognized the sacrifice that those people made that day, and we stood behind them in communities all across the country," Snowder tells EastIdahoNews.com.

A quarter century later, Snowder says the world is a much different place. Politics has become the lens through which people view the world, which sometimes stirs up hatred against police and other first responders. He cites recent attempts by ICE agents to peacefully arrest illegal immigrants with criminal records as an example.

"We're a very divided country. We have a lot of unimportant bulls*** pulling us apart," Snowder says.

As the 25th anniversary approaches, Snowder is giving a plug for local first responders. On the heels of the shooting in Twin Falls, he's reminding the public that they willingly put their lives on the line for their communities every day.

As CEO of Qal-Tek — a company that provides radiological and nuclear management training for various industries, including emergency responders — Snowder says that in eastern Idaho, law enforcement works hard to ensure people are unaware of most bad things that happen, for which they deserve our praise and support.

"That's a big checkmark on their resume," says Snowder. "It's their job. They don't care about the recognition, and it does them a disservice (to not stand behind them)."

Snowder says "never forget" was once a message that most people understood. Today, he isn't sure if the rising generation knows what it means. The 10th annual 9/11 Tribute gala aims to change that.

"If we can teach this generation what true honor is and what these people did, we want to reignite that," says Snowder.

The theme for the event — which is being held on Sept. 5 at Mountain America Center — is "Remembered. Honored. Reignited." In addition to the keynote speakers, an auction and VIP dinner will be part of the gala.

On Sept. 4, Care will host his signature push-up challenge at a free community block party on Park Avenue in downtown Idaho Falls. It will include food vendors and a live concert from Texas-based country artist Nate Burnham.

Remembering their sacrifice — and building for the future

The 9/11 gala stemmed from Snowder's working relationship with the New York City Fire Department, which began in 2007. Through the years, he's heard many untold stories about what happened that day and the sacrifice of firefighters.

Snowder launched the nonprofit in 2013. The following year, he says Calhoun told him something that changed the context of firefighters' actions on 9/11, and prompted the first gala in 2016.

As a group of firefighters was getting on a truck, a chaplain addressed them.

"Gentlemen, there is unquestionable doubt that firefighters will die today. It is possible that some of you getting on this truck may be one of them," the chaplain said, according to Snowder.

Snowder says Calhoun will recount this and other stories at the 2026 event.

Through the years, Heroes Defense has raised funds to provide resources for first responders. Snowder's goal is to build a training center in Idaho Falls. He'd also like to build a home for veterans that provides treatment, therapy, training and other services.

The cost of the first phase of the training center, which will ensure it meets all the standards and requirements, was reduced from $500,000 to $50,000. Three different sites are being considered, none of which have been finalized. Construction will get underway in the third phase.

Meanwhile, Snowder is hoping the gala on Sept. 5 will raise enough funds for the second phase of the project. Sponsorships and ticket sales will help make that happen. He's asking people to attend and support the cause.

"Let's make a weekend of this that ignites our community," he says. "If we can get everyone to contribute $5 a month, the things that we can build for our first responders and our veterans are mind-blowing."

The block party on Sept. 4 will begin at 6 p.m. Doors for the gala open at 4 p.m.

To buy tickets or learn more, click here.

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