A reminder of the strength and fortitude of the people of New York now grows in Forest Park.
Councilman Eric Ulrich, Assemblyman Mike Miller, Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, Parks Department officials and members of the Richmond Hill community gathered in Forest Park on Nov. 20 to plant and dedicate a 9/11 Survivor Tree.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a charred trunk of a Callery Pear tree was pulled from the rubble at the World Trade Center site. The severely damaged tree was then removed from the debris and placed in the care of the Parks Department.
After the tree’s recovery and rehabilitation, it was returned to the 9/11 Memorial in 2010 where it grows today. The tree earned the name Survivor Tree and has grown to become a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth.
Saplings of the Survivor Tree were taken and distributed to various individuals and organizations. The tree that was planted in Forest Park grew from a sapling of the Survivor Tree that was given to a local Richmond Hill firefighter.
The Survivor Tree was planted in a grassy area adjacent to the Buddy Monument and Sgt. Schaefer Oval in Forest Park. Ulrich, Miller, Simanowitz, and members of the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center including Simcha Waisman participated in the planting ceremony.
