By Doug Miller
Katie's father, Neil Flynn, and her grandparents, Denise and Chris Tangney, were seriously injured in the July 3 crash, which also took the life of Stanley Rabinowitz, the driver of the limousine in which they were traveling. The driver of the pickup truck they collided with, Martin Heidgen of Valley Stream, has been charged with drunken driving and two counts of second-degree murder.
According to Lisa Tangney Mascolo, Katie's aunt, the family is now beginning the long process of recovering from their own wounds while still mourning, and they are hoping the foundation and the continued generosity of their neighbors can help ease their path to recovery.
"The money will go to several places, starting with covering certain uninsured medical expenses for my family," Mascolo said. "We also hope there can be an investment in scholarships and tuition assistance, and towards raising public awareness."
Mascolo said her parents' house will likely need to be fitted with special equipment to aid them in their rehabilitation.
"Other then that, we're keeping it open," Mascolo said. "People have been so kind, we want to keep this umbrella open, where we can give a scholarship or tuition assistance if we can."
The golf outing will be Monday, Aug. 29, at the North Shore Towers Golf Club in Floral Park. It will be followed by a banquet at the Long Beach Catholic Regional School. Non-golfers are welcome, and donations will be accepted. Checks can be sent to the Katherine Marie Flynn Foundation at Box 1179, Long Beach, NY 11561.
For more information about the foundation, write to katherinemarieflynn@gmail.com. For more information about the golf outing, call (516) 889-0939 or 705-8218.
"The community has been so amazing," Mascolo said. "Everyone has wanted to help."
Comments about this story? DMiller @liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
