A Night to Never Forget

By Katie McFadden

On Friday, April 10, Rockaway showed that it will not forget the 9/11 Tribute Park mosaic.

Several locals came out to the Belle Harbor Yacht Club for the fundraiser to support the effort to restore the park’s central piece called “Navigator Star.” The event included food, an open bar, live music by Greg and Cat Parr and raffles.

Kurt Doiron, a founding member for the Tribute Park Conservancy, led remarks. “When I first moved to Rockaway, the thing I really fell in love with is the sense of community because you know it created this sense of accountability and duty to do the right thing with neighbors. We lost a lot of people on 9/11 from this community who were fulfilling their duty running into a building that was falling down and everybody else was running away, and that’s really what the Navigator Star is all about. It’s about remembering those people that we lost from our community and what it is you’re doing here today by supporting Navigator Star is carrying on that tradition of neighborhood community accountability and duty to make sure that their memory remains the same and that the Navigator Star remains in Tribute Park as beautiful as it was as it was the day that it was created,” Doiron said before introducing the creator, artist Patrick Clark.

“This summer is the 25th anniversary. It’s so important that we never forget. It does not seem very long ago. When we built the park, we were on a mission to remember and cherish the lives of all the folks working in the World Trade Center that day,” Clark said. “The Park is our way of honoring them, remembering them and carrying on their memory and the Park is for us but it’s for future generations. I think and other people think that the Mosaic itself and the Dome are unique very, very special things for a very special and unique community, and that’s why it’s important that we restore and preserve them for future. For you to make the effort to be here and support is a wonderful thing. It gives us strength. It’s a big challenge to do this work of restoring the mosaic.” Clark then thanked many in the room and not in the room who have helped to get the restoration underway logistically.

Musicians Cat and Greg Parr, a retired firefighter who was down at Ground Zero after 9/11, began their set with a song Greg wrote about the many who rushed toward the danger that day called “Canyon of Our Heroes.”

The next fundraising event will be June 6 at Clark’s home, the historic Richard Mott House on Norton Drive in Bayswater. That event, which will include cocktails, fine wines, hors d’oeuvres and live music, is limited to 45 guests. Everyone can also help support the cause by buying a $100 raffle ticket for a chance at a $25,000 grand prize or four $1,000 runner up prizes. The winner will be drawn at Tribute Park on July 4. Tickets for the event, the raffle or an option to simply make a donation can be found at www.rockaways9-11tributepark.com.