Sunset Park 9/11 vigil honors loved ones and those who keep their memory alive

Staff

Sunset Park 9/11 vigil honors loved ones and those who keep their memory alive
Silvia Agosto receives a proclamation from Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes’ office during the Sept. 11 vigil at Sunset Park’s Living Memorial Grove. From left: Captain Mobeen Yasin of the 72nd Precinct, Bryan Ellicott-Cook, Jason Otaño, Council Member Alexa Avilés, Daniela Contreras of Mitaynes’ office, Agosto, and Community Board 7’s Jerry Chan.

Neighbors gathered at the Living Memorial Grove in Sunset Park on Sept. 11 for an evening vigil of remembrance and reflection.

The Grove, planted in 2002 as one of five memorial groves across the city, is a ring of young flowering trees — Yellowwoods, Silverbells, and Redbuds — that encircle a bed of flowers on the park’s western slope. Roses were still in bloom during this year’s vigil, while daffodils appear each spring as symbols of resilience and renewal.

Silvia Agosto has been a key advocate for the Grove, and the main person responsible for revitalizing it after years of neglect. In 2019 she helped replant daffodils, and in 2021 she led a major volunteer effort with veterans from The Mission Continues to restore the beds with roses, catmint, mulch and new plantings.

On behalf of Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, district director Daniela Contreras presented Agosto with a framed proclamation recognizing her years of work in the Grove and across the park.

For Agosto, the Grove is not just about remembering the tragic day and those who were lost, but about how neighbors should live now. “Watching nature is nurturing,” said Agosto. “Be present. Don’t disregard one another. Volunteer, be that person that works for change for all humans.”

Council Member Alexa Avilés described the devastation she felt on 9/11 as she watched the names of firefighters and first responders scroll across a screen. “To all the families, we extend our love and appreciation for their commitment, for their sacrifice,” said Avilés. “In their memory we will do better and we will continue to fight for a more compassionate society.”

Captain Mobeen Yasin, commanding officer of the 72nd Precinct, spoke about the vow to “never forget” and urged younger officers to carry the memory forward. “Legacy is only as strong as us holding it and passing it down to our children,” said Yasin.

Community Board 7 Vice Chair of Public Safety Jerry Chan recounted evacuating co-workers across the Brooklyn Bridge on 9/11 and later military activation. He also described ongoing efforts through Tunnel to Towers to support families and house unhoused veterans.

Bryan Ellicott-Cook offered a tribute to his father, EMS Lt. Brian Ellicott, who answered the call on 9/11 and died in 2007 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma tied to his work at the World Trade Center. He spoke of the more than 400 first responders and nearly 3,000 other victims who died that day, as well as the thousands more who have died since due to 9/11–related illnesses.

“These are people who lived, who dreamed, who served, who were loved, and who are still missed,” said Ellicott-Cook. “And with that grief comes a responsibility to honor their service, not only by remembering their deaths, but carrying forward the values they lived by: courage, compassion, dedication, and love of community.”

Jason Otaño, general counsel to the New York City Council and a U.S. Army Reserve judge advocate, honored his father, Firefighter Adolfo Otaño of Red Hook’s Engine 202, describing how he worked for weeks to help rescue and recovery operations after losing seven of his best friends who were killed that day when the towers collapsed. Otaño’s father would eventually die from cancer caused by Ground Zero toxins.

“After 9/11, it was the most united I'd ever seen this country and no matter what our differences we came together,” said Otaño. “Almost a quarter century after, I don't think we've ever been more divided and I'd like to think of this day as a day to remind us that we are more alike than we are different.”

Reverend Felix Burgos, an NYPD clergy liaison, led the group in prayer: “This is such a beautiful evening weather-wise, but deep in our heart, the pain is still there, Lord. So we ask You, O God, to continue comforting us, to guide us, keep us united as one.”

Avilés closed by inviting the crowd to call out the names of those honored that evening. The community responded “presente” after each: EMS Lt. Brian Ellicott and FF Adolfo Otaño.

Care and compensation are available under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, through the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. These programs are not only for first responders but also for anyone who lived, worked, or studied near Ground Zero in the months after the attacks. Registration details are at www.cdc.gov/wtc and www.vcf.gov.