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THE NEWSPAPER OF JAMAICA, HOLLIS & ST. ALBANS
Astoria Catholic academy presents NYPD
Det. Luis Alvarez with posthumous award
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Immaculate Conception
Catholic Academy in Astoria
presented Immaculate
Mary Leadership awards to
five alumni — including late
NYPD Detective Luis Alvarez,
whose family established
a scholarship fund in honor of
the 9/11 hero.
More than 200 supporters
of the school attended the fundraising
event on Oct. 17 to
mark its 97th anniversary at
Terrace on the Park, located at
52-11 111th St. in Flushing.
“The 97th anniversary
of Immaculate Conception
Catholic Academy in Astoria
celebrates what is unique
about Catholic education, the
education of the whole child
— academically, spiritually
and in their personal growth;
supported by an academy
community comprised of our
pastor, board of trustees, the
principal, teachers, parents,
alumni and friends, all who
participate in some way in
our students’ education,” Diane
Pisido, chairperson of the
board of directors of Immaculate
Conception Catholic Academy,
said.
This year, the school posthumously
awarded Alvarez,
who was in class of 1979. Phil
Alvarez spoke movingly about
his brother and the establishment
Det. Luis Alvarez’s mother, Aida, and father, Filipe, are seated, with his siblings Aida, Fernando and
Phil standing with Msgr. John Harrington. Photo by Wanda Grobelkiewicz
of the Immaculate Mary
Stewardship Fund/NYPD Detective
Luis Alvarez Award in
his memory to help families
and their children to “Immac.”
Alvarez died of cancer at
the age of 53 in 2019.
After the attacks on the
World Trade Center on Sept.
11, 2001, Alvarez worked at
Ground Zero, cleaning the
rubble and waste left at the
site. He was diagnosed with
cancer several years ago and
underwent dozens of rounds of
chemotherapy.
Alvarez was an advocate for
the 9/11 Victim Compensation
Fund that was set up for police,
firefighters and others who
worked at Ground Zero.
Just weeks before his
death, he had testified before
the House Judiciary subcommittee
in favor of extending
the 9/11 Victim Compensation
Fund. Partly as a result
of his testimony, the fund was
extended.
The former NYPD detective
is remembered as an American
hero whose legacy lives on
after his physical extraordinary
courage to testify on behalf
of other 9/11 victims, even
as he was dying.
The four other honorees
awarded at the event included
JoAnn Falleta (class of 1968);
Richard Haray, (class of 1970);
Rocco Sacramone, chef, Trattoria
L’Incontro; and Matthew
Troy (class of 1977).
Falletta, a renowned conductor,
multiple Grammy
award winner, and music
director of the Buffalo Symphony
Orchestra, was named
as one of the 50 great conductors,
past and present, by
Gramophone magazine. With
a discography of more than
120 titles, she served as a member
of the National Council on
the Arts during the Bush and
Obama administrations by
presidential appointment.
Haray practiced real estate
law at two large New York
firms before becoming inhouse
lease counsel for Rockefeller
Center. He has been with
his current employer, IPG,
for 25 years and is now senior
vice president of corporate services.
Haray is most proud of his
philanthropic work and fundraising
activities on behalf
of several charities, including
those that provide housing
for the elderly, and drug and
alcohol support. With family
and friends, he created two
scholarship foundations for
students at St. John’s and Fordham
universities.
Read more on QNS.com.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4526.
Vol. 9 No. 44 52 total pages
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