MERLINA SAN NICOLAS LEYVA, KAYLA DRAKE & SHAYLA DEVES | Reporters

A 17-foot monument weighing 22 tons stands as a memorial to 9/11 first responders by O’Fallon’s city hall.

This memorial is a piece of one of the two towers that fell on September 11, 2001, marking the day of the worst terrorist attack the U.S. has experienced.

Almost 3,000 people died and over 6,000 were injured, according to CNN.

O’Fallon Communications Director Tom Drabelle said that this memorial also stands as a reminder to appreciate first responders who are still with us today as well.

“Even though what happened 18 years ago happened in New York City, it affected all of us,” Drabelle said. “We all remember where we were when it happened.”

O’Fallon obtained this piece after entering a national lottery that took three years to get. In 2005, the city of New York presented O’Fallon with 22 tons of steel to commemorate fallen heroes.

Correction: The city of New York gave a piece of the Twin Towers to the city of O’Fallon in 2005. The date of the video is incorrect.