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American Morning

New York Restaurant Serves Holiday Meal to Recovery Workers

Aired December 25, 2001 - 09:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Other news today, recovery efforts at the World Trade Center go on. Even though it is Christmas Day that work does go on around the clock. Despite the sadness, signs of the season can be found near ground zero. That's also where we find our Deborah Feyerick on this Christmas morning and she has the latest from Nino's Restaurant. Deborah, good morning once again.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hey there Daryn. I'm in the kitchen of Nino's Restaurant. This is where it all happens, hundreds of pounds of food every day prepared for all the rescue workers. You can see just behind me here this is a big pot of gravy. The Christmas meal is particularly important because a number of people here are taking the day, spending it, trying to give back to the community that has been so badly impacted by the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The man who's in charge of all this is Sam Johnson (ph), who used to be a chef at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. What is it like to prepare food for so many people, especially now here at Christmas?

SAM JOHNSON (ph), NINO'S RESTAURANT: It is very interesting, but with the volume that we feed and the special meal that we do here at Nino's -- I want to emphasize that this is Nino's Restaurant. It's like a block away from ground zero. So we have to come with a limited staff and the work space that we have here. It's been really interesting, I know, for Waylon (ph) to prepare food for like 2-3,000 people everyday.

FEYERICK: Well, you guys are doing a terrific job Sam (ph), and they've got quite a Christmas menu planned including turkey and fish and even roast beef. You can see some of the volunteers here -- this is where firefighters, police officers, Red Cross volunteers, utility workers, everybody comes to lend a hand and all of them working on this Christmas Day. One person who's also working here is Captain Kevin Heslin (ph) and now tell me about the mood that's sort of in and around ground zero right now.

CAPTAIN KEVIN HESLIN (ph): Well it's sombreros, as it has been since the day of the incident. So it's more somber now, obviously with the holidays and a lot of people missing their loved ones.

FEYERICK: You've seen all the work that's been going on, all the excavation (ph). What has been most difficult for you? HESLIN (ph): Well it -- after awhile it becomes kind of numb. So it's not something you don't think about everyday if you're down here. You try not to anyway.

FEYERICK: The families -- you're away from your family right now at Christmas. Have you given some thought to the other families, also, who may be alone at this time?

HELSIN (ph): Well absolutely. They -- you know there's a lot of pain. Christmas is usually a time of joy, and there's a lot of pain for this one. So and we've got -- everybody's got to struggle through it, but you know we'll make it.

FEYERICK: How are your guys holding up? You're captain.

HELSIN (ph): They're good. They're doing well. You know today's a tough day to come in -- on a normal Christmas, but even tougher this year. So -- but they're struggling -- but we'll make it.

FEYERICK: All right Kevin Heslin (ph), thank you very much for all your work and your effort. And Daryn, I want to show you this wall here, this is filled with cards that people have sent from all around the country. We've seen something from Ohio; from Alaska; Mississippi; Missouri; Oregon. This one actually is one of my favorites. It says you make me proud and you make me feel good inside and out. This is the kind of feeling; the kind of outpouring and support that all the folks here spending Christmas Day that they're receiving from around the nation. Daryn.

KAGAN: I love especially to see all the kid's artwork there up on the wall. Deborah Feyerick at the Nino's in New York City. Thank you very much.

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