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Family Of 12-Year-Old Killed On Delancey Raising Money For Funeral
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 21, 2012
Modified Jan 21, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 21, 2012
Modified Jan 21, 2012
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The grandmother of 12-year-old Dashane Santana, who was struck and killed by a car crossing Delancey Street last week, is in the midst of raising the $8,500 for Dashane's funeral while she grieves for her granddaughter. "Right now we need about $3,000 by Tuesday," Teresa Pedroza tells us. "It's coming in little by little." Pedroza has sold candy and gone door-to-door asking for donations, which yielded around $600. She hopes that two fundraisers she's organizing, one today and another tomorrow, will be enough. "All this is out of the blue. Her birthday is in February—we're supposed to be celebrating that. Now I'm planning a funeral."
State and municipal officials, including State Senator Daniel Squadron, are working with the family and Provenzano Lanza Funeral Home to make sure that Tuesday's viewing and Wednesday's funeral proceed. A representative from the mayor's office has confirmed that the Human Resource Administration's burial assistance unit has offered $900. Donations have also come in from Santana's school and after-school program, and Pedroza tells us that restaurants in the community have donated food and supplies.
Santana, who lived in the Jacob Riis II Houses with her family, was killed after she and her friends were crossing the south side of Delancey Street, one of the most dangerous thoroughfares for pedestrians in New York City. The driver was not charged, as no criminality was suspected. Pedroza notes that when she crossed that portion of Delancey to view her granddaughter's memorial, she dodged traffic before being hit by a bike in the median. "There's no way people have enough time to get across. They should have an overpass for pedestrians, at least."
In the wake of the tragedy, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has called for crossing guards on Delancey Street, and other state and municipal officials are demanding that the DOT increase pedestrian safety along the road.
Today's benefit is from 4:30-8:30 p.m. at Parkside Lounge at Houston and Attorney Streets, and tomorrow's is at Lucky Cheng's on First Avenue from 5-10 p.m., and there will be live music at both events. You may also contact family friend Brian Bacchus at [email protected] to make a donation via PayPal.
"It's the last money we're ever going to spend on her," Pedroza says. "We're not going to bicker about it, we just know we have to get it."
Tagged
daniel squadron
delancey street
Lower East Side
pedestrian safety
scott stringer
sheldon silver
tragedy
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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