Final preparations are being made for the annual dedication ceremony honoring the 42 residents of Glendale, Woodhaven, Ridgewood and Middle Village who lost their lives on 9/11.
The ceremony, which will take place at the Forest Park Dry Harbor Playground at 1 p.m., on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, will be a culmination of songs and prayers led by local religious leaders. Government officials, uniformed service officers and community members will also be in attendance to show their support. In past years, the committee held a parade, but only the dedication ceremony will be held this year because of lack of funds and manpower.
The American Day Parade Committee, which organizes the event, was formed by Ed Walter before he passed away in 2007. It was his wish that the men and women from the community who lost their lives at the World Trade Center would not be forgotten. After a quick ceremony in 2001, Walter partnered with the East Coast Car Association and held the first memorial parade in 2002. Since then, they have held a dedication every year, and in 2007 the committee placed a memorial stone in Forest Park.
Walter raised money for the memorial stone from private donations and secured grants from elected officials. Unfortunately, Walter couldn’t see his visions fulfilled because he died just months before the memorial was placed in the Dry Harbor Playground. “Since his death, we have continued to fulfill what he wanted,” said Dolores Capace, the executive committee member of the American Day Parade Committee. “Every year we want to honor those poor souls.”
Rose Marti, who lost her son Michael Marti—an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald—in the attack, was instrumental in gaining permission from the city Parks Department to place the memorial stone in the playground. “Rose would be out every single day collecting signatures,” said Capace. “She was certainly a driving force on this committee. We were all inspired by her strength and determination. This was and continues to be a difficult time for Rose and her husband Roger, as well as all the other families who also lost loved ones.”
Since Walter’s death, files have been lost, including the contact information for families who lost a loved one from the 9/11 attacks. Those family members are encouraged to contact Dolores Capace at (917) 705-3707 or at capaced@aol.com. “We want to let them know we have not forgotten their loved ones,” Capace said.
by Shannon Farrell
