BUFFALO, N.Y. — In just about two weeks, it'll be the first anniversary of the Christmas Blizzard that claimed the lives of dozens of Western New Yorkers. The organization, Our City Buffalo, held a silent march from Trinity Episcopal Church, down to Niagara Square.
Edie Syta, whose mother died, shares memories and calls on city leaders to show more respect.
"Christmas will never be the same for all of us- for everyone here," Syta says. She continues, "We have been forgotten until today. We have not been acknowledged."
Syta lost her immigrant mother to the Blizzard. She was 73 years old. Syta says her mother was getting a popular Polish dish but got stuck on Route 33.
She shares a message in Polish with her mother and translates it into English.
"Mama, I know you're in heaven. You will forever live in my heart. I miss you so much. Why did you have to leave? I do anything in the world to see you again, to smile at you, to hug you, and to tell you I love you, mama," Syta says.
The chilling memories are still affecting our community. Nearly 40 people lost their lives in that Blizzard. Our City Buffalo, a nonprofit that addresses issues within the city, held this event. It was a part of its Anti-Displacement Summit.
Folks stepped up to the mic emotionally to have the chance to lift their loved ones' names and share a few words. Nicolalita Rodriguez, a Trauma Therapist, says this memorial is needed. She says instead of the city making a formal acknowledgment of the dead victims, all they did was provide a number.
"This is not all that we need, but we needed this. We needed to put names and faces to a number. We need to acknowledge that this has happened. That snow melted so fast we weren't even sure that it happened. Were we dreaming it? Now, we have dead people- dead loved ones that we can't even have acknowledged by our city," Rodriguez says.
As Rodriguez talks to more families, she says she's surprised by the city's lack of acknowledgment.
Syta says the city failed them.
"Our city's resources were not prepared for the storm. Buffalo failed us. It failed a lot of people. It failed a lot of families- bothers-sisters-mothers-friends-the unknown. It's devastating and disgusting. It's disgusting that it took a year- almost a year to remember all the names. It kills me," Syta says.
The march features:
- Poetry by Buffalo's Poet Laureate Jillian Hanesworth
- A Column of Birds by Oscar Brown Jr. performed by Ujima Company's Curtis Lovell and Brian Brown
- Words and tributes from Buffalo community members; directly and indirectly impacted
Flowers generously donated by Maureen's Buffalo Wholesale to leave on the steps of City Hall in remembrance of the community members lost.