Dear Fellow Commack Residents & Fellow Americans:
I tire when I write about this subject; something near and dear to my heart – and to many an American’s heart as well. The emotional drain it puts on me while trying to recall tragedy so that it will motivate me to choose better, more powerful words that will motivate you to reach deeper into your pocket. We, as Long Islanders support everything from Pancreatic Cancer, to Breast Cancer, to AIDS and so much more. So I know I’m up against a huge challenge here as I quest to raise funds for this Park.
Let me tell you about this Park. There are many, many Park’s around Long Island, this Nation and the World built solely to recognize those who died tragically on September 11th; and this is a good, and just thing.
There are many places for families and the widows to go and mourn, or remember their loved ones gone too soon on 9/11; and this is a good and just thing too.
There are scholarships for the children who bring attention to the memories of those lost on 9/11 and this is a good and just thing too.
Our Park is not about these Heroes, these Dads who never came home or these Brothers forever lost in the rubble.
Our Park is the only one of its kind in the world that we know of. Our Park is for the Brothers, Sisters, Fathers and Mother as well. But our Park is for those who ran into the fire when everyone else was running out, and stayed for the weeks and months and years later and suffer greatly and daily from disease that ravages their brains, their lungs, their livers and their loved ones. If you can imagine crushing those two massive buildings into dust and ingesting them into your body you’ll have an easier time at imagining just what is going on with our brethren. Michael goes to each of his daughter’s lacrosse games, no matter what, because he counts the days and loves the moments – individually; while struggling with Cancer that keeps returning. Tom suffers greatly with brain trauma, sinus skirmish and almost daily doctor’s appointments. He’s had more surgeries than any one man should have and it isn’t over yet.
My prayers are motivated by the numbers and the words. The numbers I refer to are my understanding of the fact that we will have more names on the Wall at our Park then the names referencing those lost on that one day, September 11th. The words I hear time and time again are ‘rare’ and ‘two kinds’ or ‘three kinds.’ The Cancers we are seeing are taking up their own battles as these rare types of cancer fight for the organs of heroes. The words I refer to are the ones I hear when a fellow responder tells me they are diagnosed not with just one cancer, but two or even three different types.
The silver lining I pray for will forever recognize these heroes in a way that would mean you and I, and so many generations to come could never forget. With such a massive amount of concentrated numbers of Cancer and so many different types of Cancer there will come a cure from all of these Heroes and their struggle? Would it not be just beautiful to know that these Heroes took part in doing what so many generations before us could not and what so many generations beyond us will forever appreciate it and remember? Would it not smack the face of evil as we bring goodness and cure from the violence of 9/11?
I’ve been torn while attending Funerals for too many. I’ve been challenged to visit friend’s hospital beds, and I’ve been doing this all along as an honor. I am not alone in doing this, and I am not the only one who believes in this Park. The ‘9/11 Responders Remembered Park, Inc.’ has many supporters, many friends and many warm-hearted Americans who have also given of themselves for this which is right and just.
We have built this Park, which cost us in excess of $250,000.00 so we can remember those who have gone before us. We have built this Park so those who are losing their struggle know we care for them, love them and will remember them in this Park. We have built this Park so, generations from today a mother can come there with their child, sit at our bench under the American Flag and tell them the story of how America stood up to cowards, put itself on a quest to account for all the missing and didn’t hesitate to do so.
Please help us to remember the heroes. Please help us to remember the Patriots. Please help us to send the message to those who are still with us that we will forever remember them.
The ‘9/11 Responders Remembered Park, Inc.’ has two events coming up and we hope you’ll join us. 0n 9/10/12 we will have a quiet, candle-light ceremony to recognize the 1st Anniversary of our Park. On 9/23/12 we will have our First Annual Picnic/BBQ at Hoyt Farm in Commack. Bring your Softball Team and join our Tournament, bring your child and join our feast! Please visit www.respondersremembered.com to find out more about these two important dates.
Thank you and God Bless America’s Heroes!
Jim Ryder
President, 9/11 RR Park
