SHANKSVILLE, Pa. -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stopped in Somerset County Sunday morning to remember the victims of United Flight 93.

Bloomberg was passing through the area on his way to Pittsburgh, the fourth stop of a national fundraising campaign for the World Trade Center memorial, which he chairs.

It was Bloomberg's first trip to the Flight 93 crash site. He presented an American flag, which previously flew over ground zero, to National Park Service officials.

Bloomberg spoke about the importance of remembering all the victims of 9/11 and memorializing them.

"They're people you don't know, but they're human beings just like you and me. They had their times of happiness and times of tragedy," said Bloomberg.

Controversy surrounded this visit, as many people speculated the Iranian president's trip to New York City triggered Bloomberg's visit to Flight 93. But visitors remembering their loved ones at the memorial Sunday morning said they appreciated the visit regardless of the timing.

The tour started in Columbia, S.C., where they picked up a 4-ton steel beam, which will be used to build the memorial at Ground Zero. At each stop, people are asked to sign the beam and make a contribution.

Bloomberg said the campaign is $25 million shy of the $350 million goal.