for 9/11 monument at
township arboretum
Manalapan organizations
support memorial effort
Goal is to raise $107,000
for 9/11 monument at
township arboretum
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
DAVE BENJAMIN A thermometer sign standing outside the Manalapan municipal complex, Route 522, will gauge the progress of a fund-raising drive that is under way in the community. The goal of the project’s organizers is to raise $107,000 and build a 9/11 memorial.
MANALAPAN — The ball is rolling on a plan to build a memorial that will honor the township residents who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on America.
Representatives of several organizations gathered at the Yorktowne Club, Millhurst Road, last week to pledge support and make contributions to the Manalapan Township Police Benevolent Association Local No. 229’s efforts to construct a memorial in the community.
"When we saw the memorial fund being formed we felt it was something that we needed to participate in," said Dennis Walsh, president of the Yorktowne Club. "We have gathered this evening as a way to support an effort that we feel is (also) a tribute to one of our members, Joe Driscoll, who tragically passed away on Sept. 11 on Flight 93, and for our members, Jim and Janet Gray, who lost their son Chris, in the World Trade Center. We’re going to be making a donation tonight to the fund and we hope that it will get things started to remember those residents who were lost on Sept. 11."
Several other township organizations also stepped up to lend their support to the effort.
Pete Bozzo of the Manalapan Baseball Association said, "After 9/11, I promised myself that I would always remember what happened. I can’t think of a better way to give my support then to have a memorial. On behalf of the baseball association we are contributing $1,500 to this cause.
"We’ve lost several residents in Manalapan and we thought this was a worthy cause. I know the memorial will be dedicated to those who lost their lives. We always want to remember them," Bozzo said.
Representing the Manalapan Mat Rats wrestling club, Tom Fasano said, "We’re here today to support our local PBA in their endeavor to raise funds for the 9/11 memorial fund. One of our goals as an organization is to impart some wisdom upon our athletes outside of the scope of wrestling and have them understand what it is to make a contribution back to the community, to be part of the community.
"We thought there was no better way for us than to lead by example. So, we have come here to make a contribution to the PBA and make their dream of a 9/11 fund become a reality," Fasano said.
Presenting a $500 check to PBA President Detective Sam Britton, Fasano said, "We are presenting you with this check which comes from our membership fund, so that you can realize your dream of a 9/11 memorial. We feel that it’s our obligation and duty to support local organizations in their endeavors, which they undertake to better the community."
Also representing the Mat Rats, Peter Becker added, "We’re here to show our support for the PBA in their endeavor to get this memorial fund going and hopefully it will turn into something very nice. We’re here to lend our support any way we can."
Diana P. Cochran and Chris Niebling, representing the Manalapan Soccer Club, added their donation to kick off the fund’s efforts.
"When the memorial fund was established we wanted to remember our coaches, and the Grays, founders of the soccer club, who lost their son, Chris," Cochran said. "We wanted to contribute. So, at registration we asked for a $1 donation and now the soccer club would like to make a donation of $1,500."
Jim Gray, who served on the Township Committee for 15 years, said, "People who don’t live in Manalapan don’t know how fortunate they are that there are people like yourselves taking care of us. We truly appreciate it. You’ve done so much for my wife and me during this."
The Grays added their own contribution of $1,000 to the memorial fund.
"It means a lot to Chris," Gray said. "You’re a wonderful group of guys. You’re terrific. Thank you very much."
Janet Gray added, "We hope that this will be successful. Chris was a member of this community, a valuable member of the community. He was a likable kid who had a lot of friends, and we’d like to keep his name in the forefront."
Janet Gray noted that after Sept. 11 a scholarship was established at West Virginia University, where Chris played football, and that fund reached about $58,000.
"Now we can watch the football team play and see a kid that the scholarship, in Chris’s name, is funding to go to school," she said. "There’s no comfort in the loss of a child, but I guess something like this gives us some kind of comfort."
Janet said she and Jim wholeheartedly support the construction of a 9/11 memorial in Manalapan.
"We’ve been in the community a long time," she said.
Frank Scarpa, vice president of the Yorktowne Club, then presented Britton with the club’s contribution.
"On behalf of the 130 strong members of the Yorktowne Club, it’s my pleasure to present this donation for $1,000," he said.
"With the generosity and support of our community, I’m sure it will become a reality," he said.
After the presentations, township resident Steve Cataneo, a retired New York City police officer, said he was lending his support to the fund-raising effort. He said there is still a long way to go.
"We’re hoping that the people of Manalapan step up, not only for the victim’s families, but for our children. (It’s important), that they can have a piece of history; a place that they can go to and have a remembrance of what happened on 9/11," Cataneo said.
The memorial as planned will have the World Trade Center’s twin towers constructed of blue granite and will stand 7 feet tall. A wall of polished black granite will join the towers and will be engraved with the names of the residents who were killed in the attack: Daniel T. Afflitto, Louis F. Aversano Jr., Steven H. Berger, Dominick E. Calia, James V. DeBlase, Patrick "Joe" Driscoll, Salvatore A. Fiumefreddo, Salvatore Gitto, Christopher S. Gray, Thomas McCann and Joseph B. Plumitallo.
A pentagon-shaped fountain will be placed adjacent to the monument, which is expected to stand in the arboretum at the municipal complex, Route 522. The goal is to raise $107,000. Contributions may be mailed to the Manalapan Township PBA, P.O. Box 72, Tennent 07763. For additional information regarding contributions by organizations, businesses, or individuals, call Detective Sam Britton at (732) 446-8388.