Station memorial opens
Hundreds — families, loved ones of victims, officials — help dedicate park
WEST WARWICK — It was a bittersweet day for West Warwick as thousands gathered on Cowesett Avenue for the long-awaited Station Memorial Park dedication ceremony, which comes some 14 years after the tragic fire on Feb. 20, 2003. The new park was formally dedicated to the many lives that were taken too soon, with 100 individual roses held in the air as their names were read off.
Aaron Guckian sang the National Anthem, and Rev. Don Anderson gave a powerful Invocation. There was hardly room for standing when Gene Valicenti of WJAR TV-10 took the podium as the master of ceremonies just after 2 p.m. He spoke about Rhode Island and the great coming-together the state saw in the years following the tragedy before introducing former Gov. Donald Carcieri, a co-chair on the Station Fire Memorial Park Leadership Committee.
“Being here today at the site of our state’s worst tragedy brings all the memories and all the emotions of that terrible night to wash back over us all again,” Carcieri said. “The raw pain, sadness and heartbreak of losing loved ones so unexpectedly lives with us always. But it is our hope, those of us who have been a part of putting this together, that the creation of this beautiful memorial park will commemorate and honor the 100 souls of your loved ones whose lives were taken. Our hope that this will be a place of prayer, solace and reverence for you, the families so devastated by those losses.”
Carcieri thanked Gina Russo, the Station Memorial Foundation president, and her team of board members who helped to get the park built.
“It is a great team with so many more who have worked so hard,” Carcieri said. “They have been relentlessly pursuing the dream of completing this memorial park and doing so in a way that would respect you, the families. I can attest to their committment to the families that
“This sacred space is being dedicated in the memory of the 100 who are memorialized here. Their lives and their names will never be forgotten.” —Rev. Don Anderson
were always, always paramount in every decision they made.”
He also spoke of the donations made by community members, businesses, labor unions and even construction companies who provided labor and materials for the project in the amount of about $600,000.
Other major donors for the park include Centreville Bank, Washington Trust Company, Gilbane Building Company, United Way and the Rhode Island Foundation.
Carcieri said one of the most extraordinary efforts of fundraising he'd ever seen came from Rev. Anderson, who is the Executive Minister of the Rhode Island Council of Churches.
“In an unprecedented manner that I can recall in our state, Rev. Anderson reached out to the leadership of every faith community in our state, resulting in hundreds of churches, synagogues and faith organizations supporting this memorial. The heartfelt generosity of all of those people from those faith communities was overwhelming.”
He recognized first responders and human service professionals across the state who “responded so selflessly to try to ease the pain and suffering that was so overwhelming.”
Rev. Anderson spoke of Father Bob Marciano and Rev. Bruce Greer, who provided counsel to first responders after the fire.
“On that night, when the unimaginable happened, Rhode Island responded,” Anderson said. “Not everyone lived in our state, but on that night we were all Rhode Island. We weren’t Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic. We were Rhode Island. We weren’t Republican or Democrat or Independent. We were Rhode Island. From the first responders to the medical professionals, from the Governor’s office, to every level of public service. From the clergy and every sector of our community. We were Rhode Island.”
Anderson spoke directly to the families of victims and survivors of the fire, saying “we tried to stand with you and hold you and be present with you in your suffering.”
“This sacred space is being dedicated in the memory of the 100 who are memorialized here,” he said. “Their lives and their names will never be forgotten. But this is also a site of hope — a reminder that the lives lost on that night were not lived in vain. For those who loved them and those they never knew. Their stories are an inspiration, calling us all to hope.”
Reps. Bobby Nardolillo and Patricia Serpa, as well as Sens. Leonidas Raptakis, James Sheehan, Susan Sosnowski and Adam Satchell were all in attendance.
Gov. Gina Raimondo said she hopes the park will bring hope to the survivors and many families affected.
“I hope it can give you peace and be a sanctuary to honor the loved ones you lost,” she said. “To any of you who were part of making this a reality, thank you for making sure they will never be forgotten. Let us decide that we will make this memorial a place of love, perseverance and resilience.”
Sen. Jack Reed and Congressman Jim Langevin, too, spoke of the resiliency of Rhode Islanders in the wake of that night. Langevin recalled hearing of the fire on the television the following morning.
“My first reaction was ‘that’s Rhode Island,’” he said. “It seems we all knew someone in that tragedy and somehow we were all impacted.”
He said he had recently found out that one of the victims of the fire, Stacie Angers, was a distant cousin of his.
“It was so personal,” said Langevin. “This is a place that tells the people that lost their lives and those who were injured that they matter and that they will never be forgotten.”
Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner said he hopes the site will “educate and inspire future generations” and keep the memories of the victims alive.
“In a time of tragedy thousands of Rhode Islanders looked inside and found a well of compassion and resiliency living inside them,” he said. “This was one of the darkest chapters in our history, but it demonstrated how much goodness we have inside us. We are special because we are a small state. At the end of the day, we are a family. We look out for each other because that’s what families do. Today, we cry for members of our family who are no longer with us.”
Members of the West Warwick Town Council were present, as well as Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, who talked about Warwick’s role in the fire, when the town sent in first responders who worked side by side with other departments to save survivors.
“Fourteen years ago an awful lot of people were asked to do incredible things,” he said. “West Warwick was part of Warwick once, and the relationship between the communities was always very strong. We saw police and fire working next to one another and it didn’t matter what uniform they had on. For the very small role the city of Warwick played, I thank our police and fire.”
He also noted the perseverance of Russo in every step of the process to build the memorial.
“When things were bad and we’d sit in our meetings and figure out how to pay for the gravel or the signage, somehow at very step what was an obstacle Gina would figure out who to call to get whatever we needed. In typical Rhode Island fash- ion those obstacles became opportunities.”
Joe Silva played a rendition of the song “97 Angels” and told the crowd that while touring he visited Scotland, where they have enacted legislation called the “Station Law” that includes regulations and codes for building. He tells the story each time he plays the song.
“Please know that the ripple effect has gone throughout the world,” he said.
Russo was the final speaker for the ceremony. She acknowledged the family of her fiancé who died in the fire, Alfred “Freddy” Cristostomi, some of whom were present for the dedication. She thanked her husband, Steve, and her entire board.
“This day is really about our 100,” Russo said. “So many in the community stepped up and you’re right, I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”
She also acknowledged Dan Barry, who coordinated the fundraising efforts, as well as the 100 students from Deering Middle School who attended the ceremony and each held a single red rose in front of a speaker box memorial in the park. They held them in the air for several minutes as the 100 names were read off.
“I hope you take this back with you that the tragedy that happened at this site can rise above anything,” she said. “I promise you life is really, really good. I learned that 14 years ago when I thought I’d never survive. The fire could have sunk me and I didn’t let it, and don’t let it do that to you.”
“I hope you feel we’ve honored your loved ones,” Russo said to the families of the victims. “We did everything possible and I know our angels are shining down on us today.”
Following the ceremony, Rhode Island native and singer Billy Gilman performed a tribute for the victims’ families.