As the nation pauses this week to commemorate the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, those who lost a family member or close friend will continue their an ongoing struggle to remember the deceased while trying to carry on with everyday life.
Like others who lost loved ones, friends of former Secaucus resident Steven Strobert, who died in the attacks, try to strike a balance between remembrance and celebration through charitable good works.
Strobert, a Secaucus High School graduate who later attended Boston University, was a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment firm that had been headquartered in the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
“You know, when I first heard about the attacks, I wasn’t really that concerned,” said Pat Taylor, who grew up with Strobert. “We didn’t hear anything from him. But I wasn’t worried. I just knew hours later he’d come out somewhere with all that [dust] on him and he’d be okay.”
After all, Strobert had emerged just fine from the Trade Center in 1993, the first time there was an attack on the iconic buildings in lower Manhattan. In fact, not only had he walked away from the buildings, he had even helped save a woman who was in the advanced stages of pregnancy.
In 2001, hours after the towers fell, several of his friends gathered with his family to await any news they could get regarding Strobert’s whereabouts or condition.
“Ever minute was different,” said longtime friend Robert Costantino, who knew Strobert in high school but didn’t get close to him until after college. “One minute you’d think he’s going to walk in the door. The next minute you’d think, ‘Well, a lot of time has gone by and there’s been no word. It doesn’t look good.’ ”
Strobert’s friends tried to remain upbeat in front of his family, but privately they began to accept the likely reality that he never made it out of the tower.
“A few of us were outside talking away from the family and we agreed that night that we had to do something to keep his memory alive,” Costantino reflected. “The foundation was actually born the night he died.”
Strobert Foundation
“The foundation really reflects the kind of guy Steve was in life,” said Tony Gerbasio, who saw Strobert as a little brother. “If you knew Steve, he was a big guy, but he was always smiling, always laughing. He was the kind of guy who could put you in a better mood just by being around him.”
Gerbasio said that, aside from his family, Strobert had three loves in his life: softball, golf, and horse racing. So it’s fitting that the Steven Strobert Foundation that his friends created in his honor holds three fundraisers each year – one golf outing, an annual softball tournament, and an outing at a local racing track – to raise money for area charities.
“The foundation was actually born the night he died.” – Robert Costantino
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So far, the foundation has made donations to a wide range of charities in Secaucus, Hudson County, and New York City.
The foundation brings in between $5,000 and $6,000 from its annual golf classic; $20,000 to $25,000 from its softball tournament held each spring, and around $30,000 from its “Night at the Races” fundraiser.
But as time goes on and the emotional impact of 9/11 diminishes, Strobert’s friends admit that it’s getting more challenging to get donations and other in-kind support for their efforts.
“It’s definitely gotten harder to get fields for the softball tournament,” said Michael Pero. “We used to get softball fields free of charge because we were working with a lady who also lost someone on 9/11. But she left her job. Now it’s harder to just have a field donated. We have to sort of compete with other charity groups.”
Strobert’s friends also admit they’re somewhat concerned that, as time goes on, people may be less inclined to give to a foundation that may be perceived as a “9/11 charity.”
“But, honestly, I don’t worry about that too much, because we have great group of people who have come out to every event we’ve put on,” Taylor commented. “And eventually I think the charity will have a life of its own. People will give to the Strobert Foundation because of the work it does…Of course, I hope people down the line will still be curious about who Steven Strobert was.”
Strobert’s friends hope the foundation has a long life and is able to make donations well into the future. In fact, they’ve set up the foundation to remain funded long term.
“Every year we give away about 50 percent of what we bring in, then we invest the other 50 percent,” Costantino explained. “We want the foundation to keep going, even long after we’re gone. We’d like our own kids, [and] Steve’s son Frank to eventually take it over. So we invest some of the money we take in so the foundation will have the resources to go on forever.”
To find out more about the foundation and the Sept. 12 event, go to www.strobertfoundation.org.
To find out about Secaucus’ Sept. 11 ceremony this year, see Briefs, inside.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.