Families for Safe Streets in memory of Sammy

On October 8th, my family will mark ten painful years since we lost my kind, adorable, beloved grandson Sammy. Please join me as we mark this unimaginable day by supporting Families for Safe Streets, an organization composed of individuals like me who have lost a family member or suffered a serious injury in a traffic crash. (Note that FSS is a project of Transportation Alternatives.)

Many of you have heard stories of Sammy over the past ten years. You've heard about his fierce determination. He was the youngest rider to complete the New York City Century ride only weeks before he was killed. He begged his parents to send him to a middle school that was more academically rigorous. Despite his small size, he was a fierce soccer player. And he loved a good argument. But he also had such a soft spot and would hold his mother's hand, give me big hugs, and adored his big sister.

The crash that took the Sammy's life changed our family's lives forever. My daughter Amy was so heartbroken but she channeled that pain into founding Families for Safe Streets, an organization composed of people who have lost a family member or suffered a serious injury in a traffic crash. Families for Safe Streets works to end the preventable epidemic of traffic violence in our communities by advocating for life-saving changes and providing support to those who have been impacted by crashes.

I have gone with Amy countless times to rallies, vigils and memorials. We have travelled to Albany countless times. We've stood on the steps of City Hall. We demand change from our city, state, and federal leaders.

On October 8th, I will be thinking of Sammy as I always do. But this date is a particularly painful reminder of his death in a senseless crash. We all miss him every single day. His sister Tamar and my other grandchildren (his cousins) Jacob, Jeremy and Isaiah have all graduated high school, completed college, and are now starting their lives as young adults. His other cousins, Adam and Isabel, are now both getting married and Noah is a young adult embarking on a new career. Sammy only got 12 years. It is so unfair and so unnecessary.

Please, for Sammy, join me in supporting FSS. The funds I raise will help support the FSS National Crash Sign Bank to mark crash sites and help press for change to end this preventable crisis on our roadways. $1,500 will help FSS purchase nearly 300 signs marking locations where someone was killed in a crash like Sammy to memorialize their death and demand action in their name.

To learn more about Families for Safe Streets, check out their website: www.familiesforsafestreets.org.