Children of fallen 9/11 heroes honored at First Responders Children’s Foundation gala
The children of two fallen 9/11 heroes — including the only female NYPD cop to perish at the Twins Towers and an FDNY firefighter who never met his son – were honored by the First Responders Children’s Foundation this month.
Patricia Smith and Patrick Lyons both received Legacy of Courage Awards at the foundation’s annual gala on May 16 as the head of the nonprofit said the night was meant to show “a commitment to the future of the families we serve.”
The 25th annual event inside Gotham Hall comes as the Big Apple prepares to remember the 2,753 lives lost in downtown Manhattan a quarter-century after terrorists flew highjacked commercial planes into the World Trade Center.
Patricia Smith was just 2-years-old when her mother, Moira Smith, was the only female officer of the 23 NYPD cops killed in the terror attack.
A photographer even captured a picture of Smith leading a bloodied broker away from the wreckage before she raced back inside to courageously help more people.
“She was a person who gave her life because she knew she’d be making a difference,” Moira’s husband James, who is a retired NYPD cop, told PIX 11 in 2016.
“She made sure other people got to go home to their families that day.”
Patrick Mate Lyons wasn’t born yet when his father, FDNY Lt. Patrick J. Lyons, rushed toward the North Tower to help people trapped in the iconic skyscraper.
“As I watched the Twin Towers collapse on TV, I knew at that moment that he was under those towers and I was going to lose him,” his wife Irene told The Post in 2002.
The brave firefighter’s son was born about a month after the attack.
Smith received her recognition from NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Lyons accepted his award from FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.
“This evening was not only a celebration of our past, but a commitment to the future of the families we serve,” foundation CEO Jillian Crane said in a statement. “What makes this mission so powerful is the community that stands behind it.”
The gala included a special letter from former President George W. Bush that was read by his daughter, Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager, commending the foundation for its work over the past 25 years. Gov. Kathy Hochul also delivered a message of congratulations.
“Twenty-five years ago, we made a promise to support the children and families of first responders,” said Al Kahn, the foundation’s founder and chair. “What began in New York City has become a nationwide mission rooted in compassion, resilience, and hope.”
The foundation started after 9/11 and has expanded across the country to help 1.6 million children and 700,000 families of first responders, according to the nonprofit.
CSX rail company and iHeartMedia also received awards at the gala.
