Alison Reilly is running the New York City Half Marathon in memory of her cousin FDNY firefighter Steven Pollard, who died in the line of duty in January. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Alison Reilly
A Staten Island woman has raised over $10,000 in a little more than a month as she prepares to run the New York City Half Marathon in memory of her cousin, FDNY firefighter Steven Pollard.
When Alison Reilly found out her cousin died in the line of duty earlier this year, she said her first instinct was to get up and run.
“I got up and I literally ran because it was sit around and be sad or – it helped me. It was something that helped me grieve,” she said.
Pollard, 30, died on Jan. 6 when he fell more than 50 feet through a gap in the Belt Parkway’s Mill Basin bridge while responding to a two-car crash. A tearful Reilly described him as a “gentle giant” who was more than just a cousin – he was a friend.
No comments yet.