"I never truly stopped to think about what they mean...That is until this morning"

As it often does, my day began with a check of social media this morning. I saw a picture and a quote from my friend and colleague, Volunteer Specialist Nicole Roma:

"For the past 4 years, I've seen these flags as I walk into work, one for each of those who lost their lives on 9/11. But I've never truly stopped to think about what they mean to WNYers as they pass by the Red Cross... That is until this morning."

I took this photo as soon as I arrived at the WNY Chapter Headquarters this morning.
Nicole's version included people who had just stopped to reflect on the day.

The flags have been out since the Western New York Families of September 11 set up their moving tribute on Sunday morning. For me, this solemn anniversary is always one of the days that makes me most proud to be a small part of this organization. 

On September 11, 2001, I was still in media, working evenings. My wife woke me up with a phone call and asked me to record CNN. When I staggered to the living room and turned on the TV, I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. In the days and weeks that followed, that feeling didn't change much. My way of helping, and coping, was a small donation to one of the organizations helping amidst the chaos and sorrow: The American Red Cross.

In my five years with the organization, I have met so many amazing volunteers who did so much to help in those dark days, from my fellow communicators across the country to local volunteers like Peggy McGee-Smith, who spent weeks in and around Ground Zero, doing whatever they could to help. 

But what makes this display truly meaningful to me is that it represents the fact this organization is still helping, 14 years after this unthinkable tragedy. We continue to support the WNY Families of September 11, and it is my honor to work with these incredible people in my small way each year to remember the lives lost on that tragic day. The Greater Rochester Chapter will be represented at a Patriot Day celebration in Henrietta this evening, and there are tributes happening across the Region and the country.

Whether you attend a memorial, give blood in honor of the lives lost, or simply reflect in your own, personal way, take a moment to think about what today means to you, and remember everyone who came together to help in our time of need. #NeverForget

-Jay Bonafede, Chief Communications Officer

 American Red Cross, Western and Central NY Region

Reflections on 9/11

The WNY Families of Sept 11 annual flag tribute

I arrived at our Clement Mansion headquarters on Delaware Avenue at 5:30 this morning to see that live trucks from all four local television stations were already here. I was meeting Cynthia Blest from the Western New York Families of September 11 to talk with the media about the beautiful tribute the families place in the lawn ever year, with a flag representing each of the nearly 3,000 lives lost on this date in 2001. It's impossible to see this moving display and not pause to reflect, and this year I started thinking about what 9/11 means to me now that I am a Red Crosser.

Honoring those with WNY connections lost on 9/11

Since all air travel was shut down following the attacks, it was volunteers from Western New York that hopped in their cars and were among the first to arrive at Ground Zero to begin the massive relief efforts. Really, those efforts continue 12 years later as Tara and Sr. Martha, volunteers from our Disaster Mental Health team still meet with the support group for Cynthia and other Western New York families who lost loved ones on 9/11, and we're proud to partner with these amazing people for this incredible tribute every year.

A little later, I represented the Red Cross at Hoover Elementary School's "Read with a Hero" day. I am absolutely not a hero, but I was humbled to stand alongside the real heroes--members of our military with multiple overseas deployments, police and first responders, doctors and nurses. The fact that we are asked to be a part of this event shows how important the work of the Red Cross is and how heroic the efforts of our volunteers really are.

Hoover Elementary School's "Read with a Hero" day gets
underway with an assembly filled with the singing of patriotic songs
and a history lesson for the students

Something else struck me at that assembly. The principal, Mrs. Paskowitz, pointed out that on September 11, 2001, not one of the students in that auditorium had even been born yet. It's so important that as we reflect, we also talk to our kids about what happened and the heroes who risked their lives to help. That's why I was proud to be able to surprise my son Jackson and tell his second grade class a little about the Red Cross heroes who helped 12 years ago and how we're helping our neighbors in need today.

#NeverForget.