The idea of the 9/11 Salute began in Grand Rapids, Michigan with the then Gerald R. Ford Scout Council in 2002, with the first location being at Adventure Point with a full 24-hour salute, midnight to midnight.  In 2007, the salute moved to Gerald R. Ford Museum, where it has continued to host a continuous dawn-to-dusk salute, drawing hundreds of participants from the community, each taking their turn with a 3-minute salute.   Over the past few years as the event has grown, additional community salute locations throughout Michigan have been added, and individuals have been participating on their own across the country.