At a time of year when we’re supposed to be thankful, residents of Riverdale Park instead are dealing with the grief of unimaginable loss.
Two Riverdale Park elementary students, five-year-old Sky Sosa and 10-year-old Shalom Mbah, were struck by a van and killed while crossing the street in front of the school the morning of Monday, Nov. 20.
Over the last week, the community responded to the accident by showing their overwhelming support.
Neighbors, friends and strangers alike placed flowers, stuffed animals and novena candles at a makeshift memorial at the site of the accident and held a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening to remember them.
Riverdale Park Elementary arranged for counselors and virtual therapy sessions to be available to all students at the school.
A former city police officer organized a GoFundMe for the families that raised more than double its initial $20,000 goal in just five days.
Most importantly, residents of the Route 1 corridor have been discussing how to make the streets around schools safer, noting that a crossing guard normally stationed by the intersection had retired before the school year began.
The sheer grief everyone feels over the loss of these two children can only be lessened by time, by sharing as a community in the suffering and by working to make school crossings safer.
Tragedy strikes along the Route 1 corridor more often than we acknowledge, and during these times we need to come together to support each other, support the community and show how much we care.
Let the tragic loss that happened last week not be forgotten. If you haven’t already, you can show your support in many ways including:
• Visiting the memorial at Riverdale Park Elementary
• Pushing your local and state elected officials for safer school crossings
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