Page 62 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - September 2009

58 Charity Helps Heal Families of 9/11 58 Charity Helps Heal Families of 9/11 Charity helps heal families or make a difference. She knew other 9/11 -Firefighter Michael Cammarata of 9/11 Victims widows had started funds, several of them with Foundation (Staten Island) the Community Foundation. Scholarship funds a way to She started the Lt. Gregg Atlas Foundation to Tom -The Tommy Dowd Memorial Fund – Dowd charitable Scholarship and remember the fallen support and promote recreational, vocational donations and wellness programs for adults with autism. It By Heather Yakin is, Atlas said, inspired by 9/11. -Firefighter Thomas J. Foley Memorial Times Herald-Record Scholarship Fund – scholarships for dependent "What they did that day — we saw evil. (The children of active or retired FDNY firefighters MIDDLETOWN — Eight years have passed victims and heroes) were just ordinary people, or officers since the terror and the tragedy, but when the and they just did what they had to do. We're just sky is clear, and that perfect shade of blue, it building on that," Atlas said. "It's hard to -Pete Freund Memorial Fields – to raise seems like eight days. fathom. You'd give anything to go back, but you money to build a youth athletic complex, with can't. You have to find a way to do something Minisink schools Through these years, the families have mourned positive." and remembered. Communities built -Lt. John Ginley Memorial Scholarship monuments to honor the dead. The work in Washingtonville started soon after Fund – for graduating seniors at Warwick Valley the towers fell. Volunteers formed a committee High School who demonstrate commitment to And some of the families have found another to build a memorial to five Washingtonville volunteer work and community service way to honor those they lost to the terrorist men, all FDNY — firefighters Mark Whitford, attacks on Sept. 11, 2001: They have established Gerard Nevins and Robert Hamilton, Lt. Glenn -Stephen Harrell Memorial Fund scholarships and charitable funds. Perry and Battalion Chief Dennis Devlin — who died trying to rescue others at the World -Edward Mazzella Jr. Foundation "I think sometimes, when they do this, they get Trade Center. to see positive things come out of it," said Karen -The Gerry Nevins Foundation – helps VanHouten, executive director of the "They sold calendars and bricks, and all sorts of recently widowed parents in Rockland and Community Foundation. stuff" to raise money, said John Salka Jr., an Orange counties, who have dependent children FDNY battalion chief and a committee member. under 21, pay rent or mortgage for three months Bill and Mary Bratton's daughter Michelle Bratton was among those killed on 9/11. A year On Sept. 7, 2002, they finished their tribute, -The Glenn Perry Foundation out of college, she was pursuing a post-graduate stunning black granite monuments with degree in teaching at Mount Saint Mary etchings of the towers and a firefighter shielded -Rescue 3 Fallen Heroes 9/11 College. In the meantime, she wanted to be a by an angel. A semicircle of black granite Scholarship Fund: in memory of FDNY part of New York City, and she'd taken a job in topped with brass replicas of the firefighters' firefighters Thomas Foley, Thomas Gambino, August with Cantor Fitzgerald. She was thrilled helmets fronts the display. The monuments sit Ray Meisenheimer, Christopher Blackwell, Don to be working at the World Trade Center. on a Maltese cross made of red bricks Regan, Gerry Schrang and Joseph Spor. Funds a commemorating each firefighter, EMT and scholarship to children of any Rescue 3 After the attacks, donations poured in to her police officer killed in the attack. firefighter who are survivors of a qualified parents and to Pine Bush High School in her disaster, with special consideration to children memory. The school suggested a scholarship The committee also set up the Washingtonville of firefighters assigned to Rescue 3 on Sept. 11, fund, and the Brattons worked with a then-new 5 WTC Firefighters Memorial Fund. 2001 organization called the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan. The non-profit sets up "Now, the scholarships are the primary purpose - Washingtonville 5 WTC Scholarship and administers charitable funds. of the fund," Salka said. Each year, five Fund – created by family, friends, neighbors and Washingtonville High School seniors are fellow firefighters to honor the memory of "There's something about going out every June awarded $500 each, based in part on essays FDNY firefighters and Washingtonville to hand out that scholarship that makes you feel about the meaning of 9/11. "It means different residents Dennis Devlin, Glenn Perry, Mark so good," Bill Bratton said. "Our vision is that things to them now," he said. "The kids who are Whitford, Gerry Nevins and Robert Hamilton. Michelle's name will live in perpetuity." seniors now were little kids when this Scholarships given annually to five students happened." [] graduating from Washingtonville High School. Bill Bratton is now on the Community A separate memorial fund goes toward upkeep Foundation's board of directors, and Mary Funds and foundations set of the Washingtonville 5 WTC Firefighters Bratton volunteers for the group. Memorial in Washingtonville. [] up in memory of those "God's plan is what it is," Bill Bratton said. "The killed on 9/11 only choice you really have is what you do with it." Lt. Gregg A. Atlas Memorial In the years after her husband, FDNY Lt. Gregg Foundation – raising money to foster programs Atlas, died in the towers, JoAnn Atlas threw for adults with autism herself into caring for her family — son Gregg, now in college; and daughter Sarah, now 20, -Richard Bosco Memorial Scholarship who has autism. She has gone to 9/11 Fund – for Suffern High School students with memorials and visited her husband's Station 10, financial need who share his personal attributes; next to the WTC site. But her focus was on graduating seniors who plan to attend SUNY keeping her family going. Geneseo. Then in January, she got a letter from the -Michelle R. Bratton Memorial program where Sarah lives. When she turns 21, Scholarship Fund – annual scholarship for Pine they may not be able to keep her enrolled, Bush High School senior who, like Michelle, is because there is little funding for adults. a member of National Honor Society and is either an athlete on the women's swimming and There were two choices, Atlas said: do nothing, diving team or a member of the chorus