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The rain coming down in the Bronx did its best to deprive New York of baseball on a day it needed it more than usual, but the Yankees still took the field and still honored the victims on the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in a special way on Sunday.

“I think it’s incredibly meaningful to all of us in there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the team wrapped up their three-game series against the Rays, which was delayed just under two hours due to the weather. “To get to play and to get to play in New York on this day, that means so much to so many people in this country and specifically here in this city. So not something we take lightly, and proud to wear the hats we’ll be wearing today.”

The Yankees sported caps of New York City’s first responder agencies and hosted a special military group, Operation Once in a Lifetime, for the series finale against the Rays at Yankee Stadium. Operation Once in a Lifetime was created to make the dreams of U.S. Service members and their families come true by providing once in a lifetime experiences, as well as emergency financial assistance through their multiple programs.

The organization, which plans “closure trips” for its members, describes itself as the “Make-A-Wish” of the military. Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, who is on paternity leave, has been involved with the group since his days with the Texas Rangers and played a major role in bringing the two sides together. In addition to making Sunday a possibility, Trevino has previously organized toy drives for Operation Once in a Lifetime.

After they had a chance to hold Babe Ruth’s bat and other Yankees artifacts through the team’s Hands on History program, Boone invited those who attended his press conference to the field for pictures. Earlier in the day, Boone also laid a wreath at the 9/11 Monument in Monument Park.

“I was with the Reds, we were in Chicago,” Boone recalled of his 9/11 experience. “I actually woke up at some point mid-morning, and I was actually checking on a flight for a friend. You know, back then you called your travel agent, and he said, ‘Oh, why don’t you turn on the TV?’ That was my introduction to it. I remember it being a hot day in Chicago and, obviously, as the morning unfolded and the afternoon unfolded and things were canceled — and now it’s just this great uncertainty.

DOMINGO!!!!!🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/F6n20PHkSa

“I remember standing on Michigan Avenue on a hot 9/11 Chicago evening with Pokey Reese, standing there on the corner just [wondering], ‘What does all this mean?’ And then all the speculation of they’re coming from Chicago. Whatever, your mind was going a lot of different places. We ended up being in Chicago for a day or two and ended up bussing back to Cincinnati, and I remember playing a practice game one day right before we returned, which was kind of surreal.

“I mean, it was — just like so many Americans — just trying to wrap your brain around what just happened and what this all means.”

The Yankees then held a moment of silence before FDNY firefighter Regina Wilson performed the national anthem. A statue holding a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center, which was gifted by the United States Marshals Service, was also unveiled at Yankee Stadium.

To tie it all together before first pitch, Domingo German waved an American flag toward the crowd as he ran to the bullpen.