Queens Chronicle – September 18, 2015
by Victoria Zunitch, Chronicle Contributor
The annual Remember Me Run was held at St. Michael’s Cemetery last Saturday to benefit Community Mayors — an all-volunteer nonprofit group that provides recreational therapy for special-needs children in the city — and the Christopher Santora Scholarship Fund. After their run, those gathered remembered a Queens firefighter who lost his life on 9/11.
The runners enjoyed a cool and beautiful day for an outdoor run. Everyone was treated to free, healthy refreshments and ice cream. There was a special kids’ run, which included several nieces and nephews of Christopher Santora, the Queens-bred firefighter who lost his life at 23 at his first working fire on Sept. 11, 2001.
The male winners were Leo Werner in first place with a time of 11:54, Ryan Hartrick in second with 13:19 and Scott McGarvey in third at 15:02. The female winners were Stacy Riccio in first place at 13:15, Melissa Lee in second place at 13:30 and Julia Hustead in third at 13:55.
Afterward, most participants gathered for a memorial service that included several politicians, religious leaders and members of the FDNY and NYPD. St. Michael’s Director Ed Horn noted that Santora and his colleagues “lived a life of service and died a death of service.”
Many speakers repeated the theme that there is still work to be done, as many of those who worked on “the pile” of rubble after the attacks continue to fall sick from cancer and respiratory.
Fourteen years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 took the life of Christopher Santora and thousands of others, his family and friends are layering meaning on top of tragedy by dedicating themselves to serving the families of those who are still dying from the effects of their work on “the pile.”
“Fourteen years and the memory is still right there in the face,” Al Santora, Christopher’s father, said. He asked the crowd to remember and help those who are still suffering from diseases that resulted from 9/11 and to also keep their families in their prayers.
“We have shifted our focus this year to the families and children of those who have died since 9/11,” Maureen Santora said.
Rabbi Jonathan Pearl of the Astoria Center of Israel encouraged people to live in honor of those who died.
“People gave up their lives so that we would do what? Live good lives, in their memory and their honor,” Pearl said.
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