Losses never fade, and in Rockaway, neither does the promise to never forget. This September, the Rockaway Bow Foundation is turning that promise into light, helping residents across Rockaway, Breezy Point and Broad Channel illuminate their windows in remembrance of those lost on 9/11, and as a symbol of a community that, even after its darkest days, continues to shine.
From homes to apartments to firehouses and police precincts, on September 11 and throughout the month, candles provided by the Rockaway Bow Foundation will illuminate the night.
The Rockaway Bow Foundation, started by Belle Harbor residents Christie Rasmussen and Diane Perrotta, began as a way for the community to show support following the line-of-duty deaths of beloved local firefighters Timmy Klein and Pat Brady. Those losses hit close to home. “My husband is a fireman, and it just makes you think, this could have been me, or any one of us, dealing with this tragedy,” Rasmussen said.
Leading up to those funerals in April 2022 and November 2025, Rasmussen turned to her neighbor, Perrotta, to come up with a way for the community to show solidarity with the families and for fellow firefighters who lost their brothers. They decided filling the procession route with firefighter red bows on trees and poles would be a simple, yet meaningful way to do that.
As Perrotta’s family owns Shannon’s Florist, they were able to provide the materials, and the women got to work. “We had a very tight window because the funerals were here in Rockaway and we wanted to make sure that the route for the procession was completely bowed up,” Rasmussen said. “Timmy Klein’s firehouse came to my house, and we worked with them, and with Pat Brady, there was even more fire department involvement because we knew what we were dealing with and we needed all hands on deck.”
From the effort, the Rockaway Bow Foundation was formed. In addition to bows to line the streets, the ladies provided a way for the community to order materials to put bows on their homes, street signs and trees in support of the Klein and Brady families. In true Rockaway fashion, the community came out strong for the effort. “The community got so, so involved, that we were driving to multiple states to acquire these bows. We could not get them fast enough,” Perrotta said.
Since then, their families formed a bow committee to make sure the remaining bows around the community are treated properly. “I treat the red bow like an American flag. If I see it on the floor, taken down by the wind or weather, I take it and either fix it or properly dispose of it if it’s seen its day, and replace it,” Rasmussen said.
With the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaching, Rasmussen and Perrotta wanted a way for the community to honor those lost that day. “With the anniversary coming up, we felt like we could do something special,” Perrotta said. “The community was so supportive in the past, so, we figured we’d light up our community for the 9/11 anniversary to show respect for those that we’ve lost because Rockaway, Breezy, and Broad Channel were hit so hard.”
But this time, they switched gears. “We thought about doing American flag bows, but we didn’t want to take the red bows down because that would be disrespectful and we weren’t going to put a bow on top of another, so we had to come up with a different idea,” Rasmussen said.
That idea became candles. “We felt this was something where you can bring light and warmth and maybe some happiness in a symbolic, somber way, if that’s even possible,” Rasmussen said. “We thought how nice it would be to just look across the street and see these candles in someone’s window and remember.” Perrotta added, “This is how we show that those who died are not forgotten.”
For the last few weeks, Perrotta and Rasmussen have been selling sets of three battery-operated, remote-controlled LED candles of varying heights, each featuring a Rockaway Bow Foundation sticker, for people to display in their windows. People can also purchase sets to be donated to local firehouses and police precincts. As with the bow effort, Rockaway, Breezy Point and Broad Channel have been eager to bring some light to the community. “We had about 250 orders,” Rasmussen said. “We had our first pickup yesterday and I walked by someone’s house and saw the candles in their front window. It was very nice to see.”
On Saturday, September 5, they delivered orders that weren’t picked up and brought donated candles to places like the Rockaway Point Volunteer Fire House and the NYPD’s 100th Precinct in time for the 25th anniversary of 9/11. “The Bow Foundation is not fire department driven. It’s really in honor of any first responder that loses their life in the line of duty and making sure they’re remembered,” Rasmussen said.
Part of making sure those first responders and 9/11 are remembered is teaching the next generation. Rasmussen and Perrotta say their children have been very much involved in the Light the Community effort. “We’re trying to teach our children why we’re doing this and to share this love for our first responders,” Rasmussen said. “It’s a great learning lesson to teach our children that life’s not all about going to Callie’s on Beach 129th. We’re going to give back.”
“We want them to know that it’s not just about them, it’s about giving back, and I think Rockaway is the perfect place to do that,” Perrotta said.
As Rasmussen and Perrotta figure out what’s next for a foundation formed as an answer to tragedy, they have one major hope. “Every time we hang a bow, we say, ‘I hope this is the last bow I ever have to hang,’” Rasmussen said.
With some of the money raised, they hope to support the community through scholarships, sponsorships and partnerships with other local foundations. They’ve also considered donating toward a first responder remembrance statue at St. Francis de Sales, where Klein and Brady attended school. Most of all, they hope their next mission is something positive, like painting the bay wall or pulling weeds at a memorial.
“If anyone has a suggestion for where they would like to see us support the community, we’d be happy to look into anything that would benefit our locals,” Perrotta said.
In the meantime, they’re grateful for the support. “It’s been tremendous so far. It’s been really nice to see how everybody comes together,” Perrotta said. “We look forward to seeing the community light up for the month of September.”
“These candles show that we’ve prevailed. We persevered, but we will never forget those that we lost. It is not something that with time fades—that loss does not fade,” Rasmussen said. “It’s to show that we remember.”
For updates, to reach out to the ladies or for info on how to purchase a candle kit, follow @rockawaybowfoundation on Instagram.
