The city is also trying to raise the needed $60,000 to build its 9/11 memorial that it hopes to have completed by the 11th anniversary of the tragedy.

Aileen Flores, the city's public information officer, said 350 people initially took part in the run, but that more signed up the last minute. She added the run started at UFC Gym - near Interstate 10 and Rosemead Boulevard - and ended at Rosemead City Hall.

Flores described what the memorial would look like.

"It will be two steel hands holding a beam from the World Trade Center," she said. "The hands will have more than 3,000 dove-like cut outs to represent each of the victims."

Adam Sedlack, senior vice president of UFC Gym, one of the sponsors of the run, said he was glad his company, which is new to town and will be holding its grand opening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., could help out.

"We take a lot of pride in supporting the community," Sedlack said. "The 9/11 event is just something we can't forget.

"We are glad we have the ability to sponsor an event that affects the entire community and is something we are very proud of."

Paloma Rodriguez, 17, came all the way from Chino to take part in the race to help build the memorial.

"I did it for the cause," she said. "It's important because we live on the west coast and we don't get a lot of the Sept. 11 memorial stuff."

(Shel Segal can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .)