Seaford holds 23rd Annual 9/11 Memorial Candle Lighting Ceremony

Seaford hosted its 23rd annual 9/11 Memorial Candle Lighting Ceremony on Sept. 11, and hundreds of people gathered on the front lawn of Seaford High School to honor the lives lost that day.

The event was hosted by the Seaford High School 9/11 Memorial Committee, a nonprofit that was established to honor the memory of five Seaford alumni and all of the others who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The Seaford victims were brothers Thomas and Timothy Haskell, John Perry, Robert Sliwak and Michael Wittenstein. Perry was a New York City police officer; the Haskells were city firefighters; and Sliwak and Wittenstein both worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the north tower.

In 2002, the 9/11 committee helped build a memorial at the high school, with plaques dedicated to the five men. Since it was built, community members have gathered there each year for a candlelight ceremony to pay their respects.

This year’s event began with a presentation of the American flag by the Nassau County Police Department Color Guard, escorted by the department’s Emerald Society Pipe Band and Honor Guard. They marched down Seamans Neck Road and up to the steps of the high school, next to the memorial.

Former Seaford High Principal Raymond Buckley welcomed the crowd, thanking the attendees for supporting the Seaford 9/11 Committee’s activities.

Buckley introduced committee member and retired Seaford teacher Stephen Bongiovi, who hosted throughout the evening. Bongiovi introduced Seaford Superintendent Adele Pecora, who led the Pledge of Allegiance.

One of her greatest honors as superintendent, Pecora said, was accompanying 20 students to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans last month. Joining them were 14 veterans who experienced that history firsthand. The trip was part of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor program.

Pecora noted that students bonded with the veterans “almost instantly” which surprised representatives of the foundation. But, she added, that bonding was not by chance. “It’s because of how the children are raised in the Seaford community,” Pecora said. “This is a civic-minded, democratic community.”

The Rev. Joseph Fitzgerald, pastor of Saint William the Abbot Roman Catholic Church in Seaford, delivered the invocation, and told the audience to never forget examples of kindness, friendship and health that have sustained those who lost family members in the attacks, or in the 23 years since then.

“Never forget the loved ones lost on Sept. 11, and those who have passed since,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ll never forget the heroic actions of bravery and sacrifice the days and months after at ground zero.”

Former congressman Peter King, a Seaford resident, also spoke. He recalled the courage of the first responders that day, as well as their dedication to the recovery effort.

“Nine-eleven, 2001, was America’s darkest day,” King said, “but it was also America's finest hour, because it showed that the American spirit cannot be conquered, cannot be controlled, and cannot be put down.”

Seaford 9/11 Committee President Kenneth Haskell, the brother of Timothy and Thomas, spoke of the importance of honoring the memory and sharing the stories of those who lost their lives.

“No one wants to be here today,” Haskell said. “It’s a painful reminder of what’s been lost, but we have an obligation to be here for all those who are no longer with us. This monument we gather at today is a testament to those lives, and more importantly, it’s a testament to their lives that were well lived.”

The ceremony concluded with the candle-lighting, a benediction by the Rev. John Hickey, of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, and a bell toll by Seaford 9/11 families.

Earlier, Bongiovi had reflected on the lasting impact of Sept. 11. “Nine-eleven is a phrase and an image that is now historic within our culture,” he said. “It is and always will be unforgettable. A concept that will echo for eternity. For many in attendance tonight, we will always remember where we were, what we were doing, when we heard.”