Gone, but not forgotten.

Nearly 3,000 people gathered to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, at the "American Pride Concert and Singalong." The memorial service took place at the Tussey Mountain Amphitheater yesterday.

People sat in lines of lawn chairs or on blankets in a large field. Most dressed in patriotic colors and nearly everyone held an American flag.

A young child in the crowd, clutching a flag above her head, marched in step with the color guard that commenced the memorial service.

Before the playing of the national anthem the crowd was silent. Some people sat somber, looking to the sky.

Near the front of the sea of red, white and blue sat Christine Simon-Cowher, of Bellefonte and her three boys. Hunter, 8, stood at attention as the Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra performed the national anthem. He held two small flags and a poster that he made yesterday for the event. The words "U.S.A will never die" were written across the white posterboard in red and blue crayon.

The boys have been coping well with the tragedy as time has passed, Simon-Cowher said.

"They have been OK with it this year," Simon-Cowher said. "But everything that happened still doesn't seem real to me. It's still unbelievable."

As the soprano voice of soloist Chieko Koba soared, a couple stood near a fence on the outskirts of the event. Donald and Dorothy Ackard, of State College, were wrapped in a green blanket to shield themselves from the evening's chill. Both agreed that Koba's voice was beautiful.

"This is a nice tribute to the disaster," Dorothy Ackard said. "I felt like I needed to do something to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and those who left families behind."

Firefighters and trucks from both the Alpha Fire Co. and the Boalsburg Fire Co. lined the field. Members from the fire companies watched the service huddled in groups around the vehicles.

A flag hung on an Alpha Fire Co. truck that was parked near the back of the memorial service. The massive flag, fueled by gusts of wind, soared and many people stopped to take in the sight.

"My husband is a firefighter for the Alpha Fire Company," said Carol Schreiner, of State College, who was dressed completely in red, white and blue. "I am so grateful that our country came together like it did."

The evening's memorial service gave the community a chance for everyone to reflect on the events and the sadness that gripped the nation last year, Schreiner added.

Mickael Burruso, a ground zero coordinator, spoke during the service.

Following the speaker, a sing-along was conducted with the State College Area High School marching band.

The memorial service concluded with an interfaith prayer service.

The event was coordinated by Chuck Rider of State College and was run completely by volunteers.

"We were certainly pleased to see all these people here," Rider said. "This was definitely a success."