The first call was from brother, Gary, trapped on the 103rd floor of one of the Twin Towers, calmly saying goodbye after the first plane had hit - but before he was engulfed in smoke and flames—his young life extinguished.

 

The next call was from her other brother, Howard, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald Global Financial Services, assuring her he was unharmed. Fortunately, he was out of the building with his wife, taking their 5 year-old son to the first day of kindergarten. Unfortunately, 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees weren’t so lucky and lost their lives when one of the rogue planes hit the first Twin Tower.

 

In the coming days, as the nation tried to come to grips with this act of catastrophic proportions, Howard implored Edie to leave her job and take on the monumental task of heading an initiative aimed at getting relief and compensation for Cantor Fitzgerald families.

 

Edie will be speaking on Sunday, March 3, 2013, at Maestros Restaurant in the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. And she will be signing her book, An Unbroken Bond—the untold story of how the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald families faced the tragedy of 9/11 and beyond. Her book will also be available for purchase that day.

 

The event runs from 3:30 to 5:30 pm and is open to all women 13 years and older. The cost is $18 per person and includes a variety of desserts, fruit and cheeseboards, flatbreads, coffee and tea. When registering for this event, those attending will have a chance to open up new windows of opportunity for three disadvantaged young women soon to be graduating from Academy Prep by designating a set amount donation with their RSVP. Academy Prep is a local school, inspiring and empowering students qualifying for need-based scholarships to become future community leaders through a rigorous middle school program, coupled with ongoing graduate support.

 

Learn more and register here for the event.

 

For more information, please contact Iris Ruth Pastor at 813.769.2813.

 

Women’s Day Tea is a program of the Tampa JCC & Federation, generously underwritten by New South Window Solutions.