Barasch & McGarry Foundation names first 25th Remembrance Scholarship recipients

The Barasch & McGarry Charitable Foundation is awarding six students $25,000 scholarships tied to families affected by 9/11-related illness. The inaugural awards will be presented Sept. 2 in New York City as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

Why it matters: - The scholarships connect 9/11 remembrance to tangible support for the next generation of families affected by the attacks and their aftermath. - Each recipient will receive $25,000 toward college costs. - The program is part of the foundation’s broader effort to support the 9/11 community beyond memorial events.

What happened: - The Barasch & McGarry Charitable Foundation announced the first recipients of its 25th Remembrance Scholarship. - Six students who lost a parent or grandparent to a 9/11-related illness will receive the awards. - The announcement comes as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. - The foundation will formally recognize the recipients on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at 3 World Trade Center in New York City. - The ceremony is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The details: - Thomas Sheehan lost his mother, Delia Tanger, a Battery Park resident, to colorectal cancer in April 2026. - Thomas Sheehan will attend New Jersey Institute of Technology. - Ian Dannenfelser lost his grandfather, Gene, a lifelong volunteer firefighter and deputy chief fire marshal with the Camden County Fire Marshal’s Office, to lung cancer in 2017. - Ian Dannenfelser will attend Penn State University. - The foundation said the scholarship is especially meaningful because many members of this next generation were not yet born, or were too young to remember, 9/11. - Student applications repeatedly reflected that they have grown up with the consequences of the attacks through the stories of parents and grandparents who responded, worked, served, and later became sick. - The foundation was established to ensure the legacy of the 9/11 community extends beyond remembrance and into support for future generations. - The foundation says the 25th Remembrance Scholarship is the start of a broader commitment to the 9/11 community. - The awards will be presented by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; former Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Peter King; 9/11 advocate John Feal; former VCF Special Master Kenneth Feinberg; and Dr. Kerry Kelly of the FDNY.

Between the lines: - The scholarship puts a financial value on intergenerational service and loss, not just historical memory. - The focus on students who were not alive on 9/11 suggests the foundation is trying to keep the story of the attacks relevant for families who are now living with long-tail health consequences. - The list of presenters signals continued political and civic attention to the 9/11 community.

What's next: - The foundation will hand out the inaugural awards at next week’s ceremony in Lower Manhattan. - The broader scholarship program is likely to continue as part of the foundation’s support for education, advocacy and charitable initiatives tied to the 9/11 community. - The foundation will keep working to preserve stories, raise awareness of World Trade Center-related health impacts and connect responders and civilians with government resources.

The bottom line: - The inaugural scholarship program turns remembrance into direct support for students whose families still bear the consequences of 9/11.