Statement by Christie Coombs at 1/16/02 Press Conference

Thank you Mark. I'd like to welcome the many families and Stop and Shop employees that are here. It's a very sad event that has brought us all here today. In my case, as most of you know, it was the death of my husband, Jeffrey, who was one of many unsuspecting passengers on American's flight 11.

We families have gathered for so many reasons since September 11, so often accompanied by the media, and always with a wad of Kleenex in our hands. Until now, our gatherings have given us little reason to smile, except when we share with each other the wonderful memories of our loved ones. But today, thanks to the dedication and concern of a handful of people, we have something more to smile about, albeit bittersweet.

There are many individuals who deserved to be thanked for their commitment to this fund, but I'd like to start off by thanking Teresa Mathai, who in the process of her own grief for the loss of her husband Joseph, expressed the needs of all families to her friend Eric MacLeish. Teresa, we thank you for thinking of us, and for having friends who care and know how to get a job done. Eric is not only the president of the newly established Massachusetts 9/11 fund, but he is the force behind its success. He and his lawfirm Greenberg Traurig worked tirelessly the last several weeks to get to where we are today. On behalf of the 9/11 families of Massachusetts, we cannot thank you enough for your genuine concern and kindness.

Also, a special thanks to stop and shop, whose employees and customers raised the money that is so generously being donated to the fund. Marc and Faith, thanks for all the extra time you've put forth to make this happen. And thanks to Brown Brothers Harriman for your involvement, and the many people who have come forward to serve on the board.

We'd also like to thank the government officials who made an effort to be here today. Your support means a great deal to us and gives us encouragement that we have you to turn to when there are important government-related issues to deal with.

The presence of so many family members today suggests that the need is great for this kind of assistance. There are 177 families in Massachusetts affected by the disaster of September 11. We are members of a group we'd rather not be associated with. We've all made friendships we wish we never had to make. We are in the uncomfortable position of asking for help because we've been forced to by the circumstances of September 11.

You've all heard of the difficulties of collecting money from the charitable funds, and just this week you've learned more about the unfairness of the government fund, a fund that on the surface looks great, but in actuality will net most of us absolutely no financial assistance. I think it's important to reiterate that we are not looking to the public to be responsible for our bills, for our children. Although we are truly grateful, we are not happy about accepting any money from any fund. We all would just as soon go back to our quiet, simple lives of September 10. But the painful fact is that we can't go back, and the present has us facing bills and issues that some families cannot manage on their own.

Through the Massachusetts 9/11 fund, families who need it will receive immediate financial assistance as well as free legal and financial advice for issues we never planned on dealing with at this stage in our lives. We are fortunate in that we reside in a generous society which has come forward to help us out. For that we are eternally thankful. Once again we are overwhelmed with the generosity of our Massachusetts neighbors.

As Eric said, our lives have truly changed forever, but one day, thanks to the support of everyone around us, thanks to people like Eric and organizations like stop and shop, and with the memories of our loved ones in our hearts, we will find it easier to smile again.

Thank you.