In the wake of a tragic shooting, dozens gathered in Ozone Park took time away from their busy holiday season to support a fallen police officer’s family.
The small crowd, which included local dignitaries and legislators, came together Dec. 22 at St. Mary’s Gate of Heaven School in Ozone Park to attend the Make a Difference Christmas’ benefit for the family of New York City Police Officer Peter Figoski, who was killed in December in a burglary in Brooklyn.
Roughly $4,000 was raised from the benefit thanks in part to an auction, raffle, entrance tickets and other items.
Approximately $1,900 was raised from the auction alone. The items auctioned included a photographed portrait of former presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush—taken during the Bush presidency and marking the first time five presidents were photographed simultaneously—a commemorative portrait of the New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit, a seven-night vacation package to destinations such as Orlando, Mexico or Lake Tahoe, and tickets to Broadway plays.
Money was also raised from a raffle—tickets cost $20—where winners walked away with prizes that included tickets to a New York Knicks basketball game, gift certificates to La Bottega in Howard Beach and Manor Delicatessen in Woodhaven, wine and cheese baskets, and tickets to the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Follies in Manhattan.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Figoski family.
Figoski, 47, of West Babylon, a 22-year veteran from the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn, was gunned down Dec. 12 at 25 Pine St. in Brooklyn when he and a fellow officer responded to a burglary. Four of the five men arrested on murder charges in connection with the shooting death of Figoski—Kevin Santos, 30, Ariel Tejada, 22, Nel- son Moralez, 27, and Michael Velez, 21—lived in Ozone Park at the time of the shooting; the alleged shooter, Lamont Pride, 27, was listed as living in Greensboro, North Carolina and had a criminal record in both New York and North Carolina when he was arrested the same night of the shooting after being chased down by Figoski’s partner, Glenn Estrada.
The longtime veteran’s funeral in West Babylon last week was attended by 10,000 people. Figoski is survived by his four daughters, Christine, Caitlyn, Caroline and Corrine.
Matt Turner, husband of the nonprofit’s co-founder Ann Turner and a volunteer, said that organizers had recently finished their annual holiday toy and clothing drive when they received word of the shooting. Afterward, the nonprofit quickly organized the fundraiser after contacting the Rev. Gerald Fitzsimmons, pastor for St. Mary Gate of Heaven, and asking to use the school’s auditorium to host the event.
“We wanted to show everyone that those individuals [involved in the shooting] did not represent the spirit and the community of Ozone Park,” Matt said.
Officials with the nonprofit will meet later next year with the Figoski family to let them decide how the proceeds from the event will be used.
Make a Difference Christmas was co-founded by Ann Turner and her father, St. Mary’s Gate of Heaven Deacon Thomas Heaphy, in 1996. Since that time, the nonprofit has grown to about 60 volunteers, collecting toys, gloves, hats and other items for 250 children in the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island and even Connecticut.
In the past, according to the nonprofit’s co-chair Thomas Flood, the nonprofit has raised money to provide economic relief for families whose loved ones have suffered catastrophic events or illnesses. One such family is the McGrath family in Long Island—a family of six with four children whose father is suffering from one such illness.
“We consult with families on what they need and other ways we can help,” Flood said. “In [the McGrath family’s] case, we know they’re big Islanders fans, so we might look into getting them tickets. It’s about giving them a way to take their mind off of things for a little while, sometimes.”
Looking at the growth of her group, Ann admitted that she never imagined that it would grow so fast.
“Looking at the effort that we give, our network of family and friends, I feel so blessed and fortunate that other people share that feeling,” she said.
Councilman Eric Ulrich, who came by later in the evening, praised the organizers.
“I’m happy to support this event any way that I can,” he said. “The people who are here tonight, they are the ones that reflect what this community is about—good people that support policemen and women, not these thugs [who shot Figoski].”
“It’s important to let our local police departments know that we are supporting them any way that we can,” said Congressman Bob Turner, also in attendance.
The Rev. Fitzsimmons led the audience in a prayer for Figoski.
“At the last supper, Jesus said something that is much to the point—There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” he said. “Officer Figoski did that, and not just on the night that he lost his life, but for 22 years, he did that. And as long as that’s part of who we are…it goes beyond any brokenness or evil to make us a community.”
James Trent, of Bellerose Manor, chairman of the Queens Village Republican Club, was attending with several friends from around Queens. While he was slightly disappointed that more people had not attended, he said he was glad to help lend a hand to those whose families wore the badge of the city.
“You’ve got to support your local police departments,” he said.
Fresh Meadows resident Catherine Donahue, president of the Flushing-based nonprofit Bridge to Life, Inc., was attending the event with her husband, Al. For Donahue, a mother of two teenage daughters, the shooting was something that struck close to home, noting how her daughters were almost the same age as those of the slain officer.
“I can’t imagine [my daughters] trying to survive after the death of their father,” she said, adding that the best part of attending the event was knowing that people from around the community had come together to support the Figoski family.
Those interested in donating to the Figoski family can send contributions marked ‘Make A Difference Christmas: Figoski Family’ to St. Mary’s Gate of Heaven, 104-06 101st Avenue, Ozone Park, NY 11416.
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
