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CNN Live Sunday

FDNY Brings Joy to Children of Dead Firefighters

Aired December 02, 2001 - 16:57   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In New York and elsewhere, thousands of families are facing a difficult holiday season without loved ones. The city's fire department today tried to bring some joy to the children of firefighters who died on September 11th.

CNN's Brian Palmer looks at the efforts to try and spread some holiday cheer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't a sleigh, exactly. And instead of elves, he was accompanied by burly New York City firefighters, but Santa arrived in style on cue.

The guests of honor at the annual holiday part for children and widows of firefighters in a year of staggering losses for the department and its families.

Dozens of companies donated toys for the party at New York's mammoth Toys 'R' Us.

HELEN STODDARO, TOYS 'R' US: They had everything brought in by truck, by plane, by boat I'm sure. We've been able to assemble everything here together, with the help of our volunteers.

PALMER: For the children, it is a day to laugh, to play, and it only for a few hours to forget.

SHANNON: Is Santa real?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, is Santa real? You know -- yes. Yes.

SHANNON: No he's not!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, that was a trick question, in other words?

SHANNON: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, then, whose that guy in the red suit upstairs, then, Shannon?

SHANNON: Just a fake. PALMER: For the adults, it's something else; a relief, a break. Denise Mendez's husband and Anthony and Joseph's dad was a battalion chief.

DENISE MENDEZ: The fire department really does wonderful things for their brothers, and keep us a close knit family. And it makes everybody, like, we're not the only ones that lost. We're all in the same boat.

PALMER: Jennifer White (ph) lost her husband, Teddy. Taylor, their daughter, turns two in two weeks.

JENNIFER WHITE, LOST HUSBAND: She doesn't really get what's going on, and in a way I'm kind of thankful, because I can't explain all this to myself, I don't know how I'd explain it to someone so little.

PALMER: Firefighter Jerry Koenig is escorting families from his unit, Rescue 5. They lost 11 men at the World Trade Center.

JERRY KOENIG, FIREFIGHTER, RESCUE 5, FDNY: It's funny, the kids lives always go on. You just see it in their faces. But, I know Christmas morning it's going to be difficult for them. It's all I can think about all the time.

PALMER: These adults, parents, relatives, elves, are doing all they can to brighten the holidays for these children in a very bleak year.

Brian Palmer, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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