Source: St. Petersburg Times

On September 12, 2002 the St. Petersburg Times reported that "a prayer breakfast sponsored by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce offered the opportunity for interfaith prayer. Held at the St. Petersburg Hilton, the event underscored a renewed commitment to faith in this country, Baker said. Ronald Tihal, 71, a Hindu and a retired headmaster from Guyana, South America, was among more than 400 people who attended the service sponsored by the St. Petersburg Ministerial Association, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and the National Conference for Community and Justice. 'I came to pay tribute to those who are suffering in this 9/11 disaster and to mourn their loss and the suffering of those who are left behind - widows, orphans, brothers, sisters,' said Tihal, who worships at Vishnu Mandir, a Hindu temple in Tampa [Florida]."