5K in honor of
9/11 first responders
takes place at
Fly Creek Fire Department

By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

FLY CREEK — With American flags flying all around, runners took off at the Fly Creek Fire Department for the annual run in honor of 9/11 first responders, Saturday, Sept. 4.

There was about 100 people in Fly Creek to see the memorial event, including State Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-Maryland, who greeted the runners and their families prior to the start of the race.

Also on hand was Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, who said it was an honor to be there in support of 9/11 first responders.

“It’s an honor to dedicate this day to the heroes not only from Fly Creek but also all first responders,” Salka said. “They need to be remembered.”

The 10K, which took place earlier in the day, honored the first responders who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center.

A portion of the proceeds from registration for the run went to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a non-profit organization that serves first responders and veterans through programs such as the Gold Star Family Home Program, which provides mortgage free housing to surviving spouses who have young children.

The 9/11 20th anniversary is one week after the run, which made this year’s event special to many people.

Louise Seaver, one of the attendees, said she knew a fireman from the FDNY who sold her a house in New Jersey.

“(The run) made me think of him, and all the people who died,” Seaver said.

London Kinley, 13, came in first place for the men and said he felt “pretty good, honestly.”

“I’ve been in 5ks before but I’ve never won one,” Kinley said.

Moe Garvey said she travelled all the way from North Boston for this event.

“This is a great cause,” Garvey said, who also mentioned she was going to be biking from Boston to Ground Zero in honor of fallen police officers in an event called Tour de Force. “We’ve raised quite a bit of money for the families of fallen police officers.”