9/11 Hero Luis Alvarez to Be Mourned at Wake on Long Island
Former NYPD detective and 9/11 hero Luis Alvarez, who spent his final days pleading with Congress on behalf of his fellow first responders, will be remembered Tuesday at a wake on Long Island.
At the end of his three-year battle with colon cancer, Alvarez wrote a note to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, pleaing for an extension of benefits to first responders who suffer from 9/11 related illnesses. "My time to leave this world is fast approaching. My goal and legacy in this world was to see VCF (Victims Compensation Fund) bill passed," the handwritten note read, in part.
His wake will be held at Towers Funeral Home in Oceanside from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. His funeral service is set for Wednesday at Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria at 10 a.m.
Instead of flowers, Alvarez's family has requested donations in his name to charities like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Kids Need More and FealGood Foundation, according to family representative Matt McCauley.
"The Alvarez Family greatly appreciates the respect and outpouring of love and sympathy that has been shown for them in honor or Lou," McCauley said in a statement.
On Monday, Mayor de Blasio said he will posthumously award Alvarez with a Key to the City "as a symbol of our profound respect and gratitude for his service and sacrifice."
Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised a vote on a bill to extend the benefits -- after a group of Alvarez's colleagues went to McConnell's office and presented him with the dying detective's badge.
Meanwhile, Staten Island Congressman Max Rose will be hosting a town hall Tuesday night to talk about permanently funding the 9/11 victim's compensation fund.
from NBC New York - Top Stories https://ift.tt/2xrf0Ou
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