SPEECH OF Mr. PETTINAROLI President of Comitato 8
All of us, families and friends, have gathered together today.
The pain we share, which still hurts with the same intensity as it did one year ago, needs this solidarity, especially among us.
On behalf of the “8 ottobre per non dimenticare” Committee, I want to thank the people who are here, one year later, to commemorate the victims of the accident that occurred on that tragic day and to express their solidarity with the families and friends.
The Committee is satisfied because the heart of this commemoration is here, in the Bosco dei Faggi, which since its inauguration on March 24 has become our common home, a familiar place that welcomes us and each day expresses the sense of life that goes on.
The Bosco dei Faggi, which was created in cooperation with the city of Milan and SEA, is a constant reminder and a clear symbol of the determination to preserve the attention of the entire community, a gift for all of us whose personal value we appreciated even more with the photo book Il cerchio del tempo, life at the Bosco dei Faggi, which each family received from SEA. It is a beautiful book that contains our words and memories. It is an important gesture for which we are grateful.
We are proud of the Bosco dei Faggi, which is now decorated with new things such as the stones with the names of our loved ones and the sculpture donated by SAS.
The Committee and I are also grateful to the press, who followed us with attention; it is a pity that no newspaper dedicated a first page headline to this first anniversary. Many thanks to the magistracy that prepared the case for trial in just eight months, demonstrating great respect for our suffering. I wish to thank the people and associations that helped us during the year to collect donations and celebrate the memory of our loved ones.
One year later, the Committee has achieved its main objectives: to obtain financial support from the institutions so that the victims’ families can now face the future with dignity.
This means that the Committee, while it will still exist and work, will no longer collect donations and, starting tonight, will devolve its donations to charity. The proceeds from the memorial concert at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan will be donated to the Shelters of Brother Ettore. We’ve completed our job, and we felt it was more sensible at this point to think of people who are worse off than us, also because we have learned from personal experience how difficult it is to face adversity alone.
The Bosco dei Faggi, the book, the charity football game at the beginning of September (thank you, Milan and Inter), this Memorial Day and all the other events during this year were organized by the Committee with the help and cooperation of SAS, SEA, the city of Milan, and many organizations and people who cared about our work and devoted their time to our loved ones: they are the ones we want to remember on this first anniversary.
In conclusion, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of Milan who wanted to be with us on this sorrowful day that is so important because we must never forget what happened one year ago.
And to all 118 of you who are gazing down upon us from above and smiling, thank you for giving us the strength to continue.
God bless us all.
The pain we share, which still hurts with the same intensity as it did one year ago, needs this solidarity, especially among us.
On behalf of the “8 ottobre per non dimenticare” Committee, I want to thank the people who are here, one year later, to commemorate the victims of the accident that occurred on that tragic day and to express their solidarity with the families and friends.
The Committee is satisfied because the heart of this commemoration is here, in the Bosco dei Faggi, which since its inauguration on March 24 has become our common home, a familiar place that welcomes us and each day expresses the sense of life that goes on.
The Bosco dei Faggi, which was created in cooperation with the city of Milan and SEA, is a constant reminder and a clear symbol of the determination to preserve the attention of the entire community, a gift for all of us whose personal value we appreciated even more with the photo book Il cerchio del tempo, life at the Bosco dei Faggi, which each family received from SEA. It is a beautiful book that contains our words and memories. It is an important gesture for which we are grateful.
We are proud of the Bosco dei Faggi, which is now decorated with new things such as the stones with the names of our loved ones and the sculpture donated by SAS.
The Committee and I are also grateful to the press, who followed us with attention; it is a pity that no newspaper dedicated a first page headline to this first anniversary. Many thanks to the magistracy that prepared the case for trial in just eight months, demonstrating great respect for our suffering. I wish to thank the people and associations that helped us during the year to collect donations and celebrate the memory of our loved ones.
One year later, the Committee has achieved its main objectives: to obtain financial support from the institutions so that the victims’ families can now face the future with dignity.
This means that the Committee, while it will still exist and work, will no longer collect donations and, starting tonight, will devolve its donations to charity. The proceeds from the memorial concert at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan will be donated to the Shelters of Brother Ettore. We’ve completed our job, and we felt it was more sensible at this point to think of people who are worse off than us, also because we have learned from personal experience how difficult it is to face adversity alone.
The Bosco dei Faggi, the book, the charity football game at the beginning of September (thank you, Milan and Inter), this Memorial Day and all the other events during this year were organized by the Committee with the help and cooperation of SAS, SEA, the city of Milan, and many organizations and people who cared about our work and devoted their time to our loved ones: they are the ones we want to remember on this first anniversary.
In conclusion, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of Milan who wanted to be with us on this sorrowful day that is so important because we must never forget what happened one year ago.
And to all 118 of you who are gazing down upon us from above and smiling, thank you for giving us the strength to continue.
God bless us all.
Milano - 08/10/2002