St. Patrick students walk in memory of academy’s maintenance coordinator
It isn’t just the teachers who influence students at Saint Patrick Catholic Academy. The students dedicated this year’s annual school walk-a-thon, which took place on Oct. 2, to the memory of Thomas J. Strafaci, the maintenance coordinator for the Bay Ridge school, who died in July after a nine-year-long bout with cancer. He was 73 years old.
“Tom was such an inspiration to our students. He was such a kind man. He was a quiet man. But he had a real impact on the lives of the students. The students looked up to him. He was so much a part of our lives here at St. Patrick,” Principal Andrea D’Emic told the Brooklyn Eagle.
The entire school took part in the walk-a-thon by walking for several miles, starting from the school building at 401 97th St., then over to the Shore Road Promenade, then along the Promenade and back. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which can be seen from the Promenade, served as a backdrop for the event.
The walk-a-thon raised funds that will go toward the purchase of a statue of Saint Joseph the Worker that will contain a plaque bearing Strafaci’s name, D’Emic said. The statue will be placed in the academy’s front hall. Much of the money raised by the walk-a-thon came from the sale of T-shirts that were specially made for the event. The proceeds were still being tallied at press time.