WICHITA, Kansas, September 5, 2008 – The anniversary of the September 11th attacks is fast approaching. In honor of that day, a celebration is taking place right here in Kansas as firefighters from New York converge on Greensburg to build a barn at the city’s fairgrounds. It’s their way to say ‘thank you’ for all that the nation did in their time of need.

Mother Nature is once again not cooperating with Greensburg.

“Somebody told me it was raining, but I hadn't noticed it,” said one firefighter with a laugh. “We're firefighters we've seen worse."

Firefighters from New York City are working under the tent during the downpours and taking advantage of breaks in the storm to work on the barn outside.

"Our mission is accomplished already just by bringing everybody together,” said Jeff Parness with the New York Says Thank You Foundation.

New York Says Thank You is a foundation started by a group after 9/11. Every year since that day, the firefighters go to different parts of the country on the anniversary of the attacks to help victims of natural disasters.

“For a lot of people it's still hard to deal with this time of year, just to have something uplifting and be out of New York for a couple of days,” Parness said.

They’ve done similar projects for California wildfire victims and Hurricane Katrina survivors.

“The first year it was 15 people now it's 300,” Parness said.

East stop along the way the foundation is picking up more people who want to pay it forward.

“Every time we go somewhere the next year more people come,” said Parness.

This year they’ll leave their mark here and inspire new volunteers for next year’s project wherever it may be.