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News Archive
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News Archive
41st Annual Iona College Trustee Dinner Dance on
April 26 to Honor 15 Alumni Lost in World Trade Center Attacks
Performance by Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan and Multimedia Tribute at Waldorf-Astoria Gala to Raise More Than $600,000 for Memorial and Scholarships for 26 Children of Victims New Rochelle, NY, April 16, 2002 - Iona College lost 15 alumni in the attacks on the World Trade Center last September and the school will honor these former graduates on the evening of April 26 at the 41st Annual Iona College Trustee Award Dinner Dance in the Grand Ballroom of The Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The event is expected to attract more than 600 supporters and raise more than $600,000, with net proceeds to provide for a permanent, on-campus memorial and Iona College scholarships for the 26 children - at the time of the attacks, ranging in age from six months to 23 years - of the victims. Iona is located less than five miles beyond the New York City limits. "One of the most rewarding aspects of Iona College is its supportive sense of community," said James A. Liguori, CFC, President of Iona College. "Since Iona was founded in 1940, our alumni have helped each other whenever there was a need. Our graduates have very strong ties to the New York City business community and fire and police departments and, sadly, those relationships caused 15 of our alumni to be in the towers of the World Trade Center when they fell. In the aftermath of one of America's darkest days, our alumni have united to remember these victims and to help provide for the care and education of their children. The efforts of our alumni show what can happen when people truly give from the heart, and I feel extremely proud to lead the efforts to spread that attitude to the current generation of Iona students." Funds raised through donations (including an anonymous $200,000 contribution by a Trustee of Iona College), sponsorship of pages in the Commemorative Journal, and sale of tickets to the gala, black-tie event will be used to celebrate the lives of the 15 victims and help their families in several ways: · A multimedia presentation approximately 20 minutes long will help share the memories of the victims through interviews with friends and family, still photographs, and video and audio tapes of the victims themselves. Families of all 15 victims chose to participate in the production of the final video presentation, enabling everyone attending the dinner dance to know at least a small aspect of each lost alumni. Each victim's family will receive a copy of the final videotape production as a symbol that Iona will always remember these individuals. · The immediate family of each victim will receive a free table of 10 so that relatives and friends can celebrate and remember the spirit and achievements of these alumni. · The Commemorative Journal will feature memory pages with biographical information for the 15 victims as well as tributes from the various sponsors. · Ronan Tynan, one of the renowned Three Irish Tenors, will sing in a performance provided through a generous donation by another anonymous Trustee. · The 26 children of the victims will be awarded scholarships so that they will be able to attend Iona College without concern for the cost. · A marble and brass memorial, partially paid for by donations from the Iona Class of 2002, will be erected on campus in a quiet park, built in 2001 and located next to Iona's Ryan Library. · Grief counseling was provided through the Iona Counseling Center to several families to help them deal with their loss. Tickets to the dinner dance, priced at $600 individually or from $6,000 to $25,000 for tables of 10, are available by calling Keeva Young-Wright at (914) 637-7706. Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education. Iona offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous post-graduate certificate programs.
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