Today, the AWESOME is in New York. On what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, bride Kristin Schnacky felt the absence of her father, Firefighter Kenneth Marino of FDNY Rescue 1, who was killed in the September 11 attacks. But thanks to the New York Fire Department, she didn’t have to walk through that moment alone. As she stepped outside her wedding venue, she found a firetruck and a group of uniformed firefighters waiting for her. The surprise was a powerful tribute to her late father, who had served the department for over 20 years. “I finally understood why they say ‘it’s a brotherhood’,” she said. Firefighter Marino was one of the few who made it up to the higher floors of the North Tower on 9/11 to fight the raging fires. Though his life was lost that day, his bravery—and even his helmet—survived as a testament to his courage. By showing up on her wedding day, the FDNY gave Kristin a moment of connection to her dad, reminding her that his legacy still lives on. “I know my dad was smiling down, knowing I was taken care of,” she said, and THAT’S AWESOME.
