Bay Ridge tradition is restored
Memorial run for fallen police offi cer kicks off in-person
COURIER LIFE, SEPTEMBER 24-30, 2021 3
BY JESSICA PARKS
Runners raced through Bay
Ridge on Sunday to once again
memorialize a local police offi -
cer who was killed in the line
of duty 33 years ago and whose
sacrifi ce will never be forgotten
by his community.
Christopher Hoban, 26 at
the time of his death, served in
the Manhattan North Narcotics
unit and entered an apartment
building in Manhattan
Valley’s W. 105th Street during
an undercover operation on the
night of Oct. 18, 1988. The young
cop was killed when a shootout
ensued as the suspects believed
Hoban and his partner could be
police offi cers.
Hoban’s death was memorialized
in New York history
as it occurred the same night
as another NYPD offi cer who
worked in Manhattan’s 34th
Precinct, Police Offi cer Michael
Buczek. Buczek, then-24,
was killed just three hours after
Hoban while responding to
a call in Washington Heights.
Hoban, a native Bay
Ridgeite, graduated from the
neighborhood’s Xaverian
High School in 1980 — and the
school has honored him with
an annual 5K every year since
his death, except for in 2020,
when the event was forced to
go virtual due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
On Sept. 19, the area’s
elected offi cials rejoiced in the
in-person return of the neighborhood’s
longtime tradition
— and the unoffi cial start of
the fall season.
“Our community is grateful
for the sacrifi ces that were
made,” said Assemblymember
Michael Tannousis. “Every
single day we have to show
our gratitude and our appreciation
to the men and women
who wake up every morning
— at all odd hours of the night
— put on that uniform and go
to their precincts and walk the
beat, walk the streets keeping
us safe. We have to keep those
people in mind in everything
that we do.”
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes
was excited to share
the race day with his son for
the fi rst time.
“This is really what tradition
is all about,” said the pol.
“Tradition means we pass it
onto the next generation so
I’m excited that my son Evan
is here at his fi rst race today.”
US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis
shared similar sentiments.
“We honor the memory of
Police offi cers like Chris Hoban,
who died in the line of
duty, when we show respect
and appreciation for the men
and women in blue and support
policies that help them do their
jobs safely,” she said. “I’m always
especially proud to take
part in this annual run in Offi
cer Hoban’s memory that supports
student scholarships at
Xaverian High School. It is the
way we keep Chris’ memory
alive and support another generation
of community leaders.”
Each year, the Christopher
Hoban ‘80 Memorial Scholarship
is awarded to an incoming
student of Xaverian High
School who has a parent serving
in the NYPD. The award
is sponsored by the Police
Alumni of Xaverian, Hoban’s
family, and his fellow offi cers.
On Sunday, Bay Ridge
councilmember Justin Brannan
contributed $5,000 to the
scholarship fund.
“As a Xaverian alum, this
is a very special day, a very
meaningful day,” said Brannan,
class of 1996. “This is a
very special and meaningful
tradition for our neighborhood
but it’s important to remember
what this tradition is about and
to remember the fi rst responders,
the police that put their
lives on the line every day,
staring down the unknown, to
keep this city safe.”
Following the check presentation,
hundreds of runners
kicked off from the corner of
Shore Road and 71st Street, after
which they ran three miles
in a circle around the southern
part of Bay Ridge.
Councilmember Justin Brannan presents a check for $5,000 toward the
Christopher Hoban Scholarship Fund at Xaverian. Photo by Arthur de Gaeta
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