By Dana Williams
The informal ceremony was organized by members of the West Hempstead Kiwanis Club.
Attendees dedicated a wreath, lit candles and sang "God Bless America" in honor of 12 lost West Hempstead residents. The ceremony was held next to the hamlet's Sept. 11 memorial in a small garden in the park, which, until recently, included a plaque with those 12 names inscribed on it. "We did a benefit concert to raise money for the memorial in November 2001, and we finished the memorial a year later," recalled Nikki Stamatas Thaw, a member of the Kiwanis Club who was the project coordinator.
But a tree branch fell on the memorial last month, bending the plaque and damaging it beyond repair. Now some community members are working to raise money to build a new memorial.
"It's sad that the tree fell and ruined the plaque," said George Silkes, president of the Kiwanis Club. "We feel bad that this happened, and we are going to try to raise funds for this, because we are not going to leave the memorial the way it is."
Members of the Kiwanis Club met on Oct. 3 at the Venus Restaurant in West Hempstead to brainstorm ways to raise money for a new memorial. They reached no decisions, but, Silkes said, building a new memorial will take some time, because Hall's Pond is a Nassau County park. Community leaders will need the OK of the county's Parks and Recreation Department.
"It's not easy to get a new memorial built ... but we are asking for the community to support us, because restoring this memorial is important," Silkes said. "We are going to try to get this done as soon as possible."
The West Hempstead Kiwanis club will have a fundraising booth near the park during the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association's Street Fair near Hall's Pond Park on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The club is also accepting donations in the form of checks or money orders, which can be sent to the West Hempstead Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 222, West Hempstead, 11552.
For more information, call Nikki Stamatas Thaw at (516) 659-5559.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
