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New York Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Kids, grandkids of NYPD and FDNY heroes lost in line-of-duty throw first pitch at Mets game
Four children and grandchildren of heroes threw out the first pitch at Wednesday's Mets game — a feat one described as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity.' Hannah Cristiano, 7, Charli Scalf, 11 and siblings Jackson, 7, and Stella Abear, 5 — descendants of FDNY and NYPD members who laid out their lives for others — braved the rain and stormed the mound with Answer The Call associate committee members in celebration of the charity's 40th anniversary 'It was so exciting to throw out that ball. I really couldn't sleep last night, I was so excited,' said Jackson Abear, who boasted he needed no practice to be the only one of the four to 'throw it perfectly to my guy.' 4 Four children and grandchildren of FDNY and NYPD heroes threw out the first pitch at Wednesday's Mets game. JASON SZENES/NY POST The opportunity was much more emotional for Catherine Abear, who lost her husband, NYPD Detective Raymond Abear, five years ago after he contracted Covid while visiting crime victims in hospitals during the early days of the pandemic. 'It's bittersweet. It was really emotional and cool at the same time — Ray and I were both big Mets fans, so it's quite cool to see them on the field. I'm raising them Mets fans!' said Abear, adding that she had to wipe away tears as she watched the pair relish in the moment. The trio was among hundreds of other Answer The Call families who attended the foundation's 40th anniversary of providing financial and community support to families whose loved ones gave their lives in service of the FDNY and NYPD. More than 1,200 were originally slated to attend the annual event before it was moved up several hours to account for the poor weather sweeping the Big Apple. 4 Charli Scalf, left, Stella and Jackson Abear, and Hannah Cristiano simultaneously threw out the first pitch to Answer The Call committee members. JASON SZENES/NY POST But the rain couldn't keep away Charli Scalf, who, along with her mother Taina, was honoring the memory of her father Detective Jeffrey Scalf. Like Abear, the 14-year NYPD veteran died from the 'invisible bullet' of the coronavirus as he worked through the early and uncertain days of the pandemic. 'It was really fun and exciting because I feel like it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,' Charli, who said her favorite part was meeting starting pitchers Clay Holmes and David Peterson — despite being a self-professed Yankee fan. Taina Scalf said she went through multiple emotions throughout the day's festivities, ranging from elation at watching her daughter to sadness that her husband was missing it, but was overall content that she was surrounded by other families who had gone through the same struggles. 4 The kids met with New York Mets bench coach John Gibbons ahead of the game, as well as starting pitchers Clay Holmes and David Peterson. JASON SZENES/NY POST 'Answer The Call really cares, even though it's five years later. It was five years ago, but it still feels like today to us,' she explained. Little Hannah Cristiano donned a Mets dress and hair bows in honor of her mega Mets fan grandfather, Tommy Farino, who was one of the 343 FDNY members lost on 9/11. Kieran Bellew, 20, and his mom Eileen sat below the massive scoreboard to watch the four kids storm the mound — a place he'd been before. Kieran was just 4 years old when he threw out the first pitch in 2009, five years after his dad, FDNY Lt. John Bellow, was killed when he jumped out of a burning building in Brooklyn on Black Sunday. 4 Detective Raymond Abear died in 2020 after contracting Covid. Detectives' Endowment Association 'It's funny because if they have the same perspective I did, it's as though they're players for the Mets, not just kids throwing out the first pitch,' said Kieran, adding that his father was a huge Mets fan. 'It's very cool. It's just like creating a whole new generation of fans … It's like passing the torch.' Missing the annual event was not an option for the Bellow family, according to Eileen: 'Now that my kids are older, it's on their calendar. They make sure that they come together and go.' The organization, officially known as the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, was established in 1985 by Mets legend Daniel 'Rusty' Staub, who was inspired after reading about a young NYPD who left his widow and three children behind after he was killed in the line of duty. Since then, Answer The Call has provided over $180 million directly to more than 1,000 families. This year alone, the charity has distributed over $5.5 million to more than 500 families, with widows ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s. Each family is provided with $50,000 typically within the first 24 hours of the tragedy, followed by an annual stipend of $11,000.
New York Post
27-05-2025
- New York Post
Kids whose loved ones died in line of duty to throw first pitch at Citi Field for ‘Answer the Call' game
Dozens of orphaned children and grandchildren who lost their loved ones in the line of duty will throw the first pitch at Citi Field Wednesday ahead of the Mets game against the Chicago White Sox. Among those with the ceremonial honor for Answer the Call's 40th anniversary are Jackson and Stella Abear, who just five years ago lost their father to COVID, a disease he contracted while serving as an NYPD officer visiting crime victims in hospitals during the early days of the pandemic. The kids were just 2 years old and 4 months at the time of the tragedy — and they mostly remember Detective Raymond Abear through the stories their loved ones share of his heroism and bravery while the rest of the city was gripped with fear. 'I feel especially happy that they haven't forgotten about our family and that they're still including my children and Ray, even five years later, to do something this monumental that they will remember forever,' mom Catherine Abear told The Post ahead of the festivities. 5 Jackson and Stella Abear, here with their mother Catherine, will throw the first pitch out at the Mets game Wednesday. Leonardo Munoz More than 1,200 Answer The Call families are expected to attend Wednesday's Game & Family Day, the annual flagship fundraising event for the first responder charity. It's a bittersweet day for loved ones left behind, Abear explained — every year, she has watched in awe as Jackson and Stella reunite with other children who also lost their loved ones in the line of duty. 'They just have an instant bond and connection because they know there are families like us,' Abear said. 'My son is 7-years old now so he understands that these are families just like us, who lost someone that they love very much. And he doesn't feel so out of place the way he may sometimes at school. 5 Detective Raymond Abear was killed by the coronavirus, contracted while he was visiting crime victims in hospitals during the early days of the pandemic. Detectives' Endowment Association 'It's just the kind of place you like to be because you never have to explain yourself,' she went on. 'You just fit right in with everyone. And it's kind of like how firemen and police officers have this very special bonding camaraderie with each other. The line of duty families have built that same kind of bond.' The fundraiser, formerly known as the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, was established in 1985 by Mets legend Daniel 'Rusty' Staub, who was inspired after reading about a young NYPD officer whose line-of-duty death left behind his widow and three children. Staub's own uncle died while serving in the New Orleans Police Department, and the six-time All-Star used his own superstardom to establish the fundraiser to ease the financial burdens placed on loved ones already grappling with emotional turmoil. Over the last 40 years, Answer The Call has provided over $180 million directly to more than 1,000 families. This year alone, the charity has distributed over $5.5 million to more than 500 families, with widows ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s. 5 Answer The Call is celebrating it s40th anniversary this year. Paul J. Bereswill Each family is provided with $50,000 typically within the first 24 hours of the tragedy, followed by an annual stipend of $11,000. 'Their world stops, but the bills don't,' said Lauren Profeta, executive director of Answer the Call. 'The last thing we want a family to worry about is how they're going to pay their rent or buy food or any of the regular expenses that they might have, or even the funeral. ' But the fundraiser provides much more than a financial lifeline for families — it's also a community builder where widows and orphans can meet other families going through the same struggles, she said. 5 Tommy Farino was one of the 343 FDNY members who was killed in the September 11 attacks. Courtsey of Mary Farino-Thomas The annual Game & Family Day at Citi Field is 'like a big family reunion,' Profeta said. 'There's a sense of community that they're not alone, they haven't been forgotten and that they have each other,' she said. For families like the Farinos, the annual gameday is an opportunity to remember their loved ones as more than a hero. Capt. Tommy Farino was one of the 343 FDNY members who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, but the loved ones he left behind prefer to remember him as a Mets fanatic. 'My kids, Jane and Jimmy, were 6 and10 when 9/11 happened,' Mary Farino-Thomas told The Post. 'They don't like the idea that their dad is a 'hero' because he was killed on 9/11. They've always felt like 'our dad is our dad, and that's why he's our hero.'' 5 Farino's granddaughter Hannah, here with her mom Jane, will throw out the first pitch in his honor on Wednesday. Courtsey of Mary Farino-Thomas Farino-Thomas and her late husband's love story was marked by numerous trips to Shea Stadium, a trend that continued when they welcomed their children. The pair of siblings has always been lowkey about their father's heroism, and have chosen to honor his memory in more personal ways — Jimmy and his wife are expecting their first son this summer, who will be named 'Roman Thomas Farino.' But on Wednesday, Jane's daughter Hannah, 7, will throw out the first pitch in honor of the grandfather she had only heard about through stories. 'She has a little Mets outfit, and my daughter has told her that my deceased husband — her dad — was also a huge, huge Mets fan,' said Farino-Thomas. 'My daughter had said, 'it's very special, exciting and meaningful to experience things with my children that their grandfather — my dad — enjoyed doing with me as a child. They had the opportunity to experience the parts of him that they wouldn't otherwise get to enjoy and learn about thanks to Answer The Call.''
