As if April 15th Wasn't Heavy Enough
I won't try to be poignant, as I find it hard to compose my thoughts in the face of such tragedy. What's happened is incomprehensible. And I think that there have been many who have made some great points about the terrible events that have occurred in Boston. I've always liked it as a sort of cousin city to ours, with a lot of great history, charm and pride. A lot of New Yorkers have connections to Boston, as do a lot of Americans. To that end I will just say to the Bostonians, that you are not alone, but I think you know that already. Our sports teams may be rivals, but those rivalries obviously come out of respect and love. Keep supporting one another and leaning on those around you, including other nearby communities who, you will find start pouring in to lift you up. In NYC we've seen this on more than one occasion, and it's exactly the sort of thing that Patton Oswalt was so eloquent about. There's more good than bad out there in the world and as you're mired in the darkness of these events, don't forget to keep your eyes open for these bright shining lights that are your neighbors from all corners of the world.
I imagine that there will be several other events to raise money, resources, etc as the days go on, but the first of it's kind that I've seen comes from a very talented, funny and smart man, Anthony Atamanuik of the Upright Citizen's Brigade. If you're free this evening and you'd like to both tear yourself away from the news AND raise money for the Boston Red Cross then check it out, he's dedicating his weekly show to the cause, and this is from his Facebook page:
"The Tony Show! Boston Red Cross Fundraiser
Tuesday 04.16.13 9:30pm UCB East Ave A & 3rd st
In light of today's events, The Tony Show will be raising money for the Red Cross. Tony will be sharing old stories from Bean Town and helping out those affected by a violent act of cowardice at the Marathon.
With these great stand-ups, who are not required to do Boston-centric material!
Jamie Lee (Conan) Phil Hanley (Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson) Emil Kim (Thunderbird Comedy Show)"
Make reservations here.
Also, if you're in Boston or looking for some of those needed resources for someone who is, you can check out this info from Eater Boston.
"Resources for Marathon Runners, Friends and Family
Tuesday, April 16, 2013, by
Here are some resources that may be useful for those affected by the tragic events at yesterday's Boston Marathon.
If you are trying to find someone at the marathon, call the mayor's hotline at 617-635-4500.
Google has also created a "person finder" specific to the event for those trying to locate people who were in attendance:
http://google.org/personfinder/2013-boston-explosions/
If you were at the marathon, officials have recommended that you let people know your whereabouts and that you are okay. You can do so via your own social media platforms or through this Red Cross resource:
If you have information about the explosions or if you have photos or video of the incidents, please call 1-800-494-TIPS or 1-800- CALL-FBI . You can also text the word "TIP" to the number 27463 from a mobile phone.
The site of the explosions is being treated as a crime scene and is therefore closed to the public. See here for a map of that area:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/uploads/48206_1_15_13.png
If you can house someone in need of a place to stay, see this Google doc:
https://docs.google.com/a/eater.com/forms/d/1dqIKVq6IqX4BVXqOW_a9-qmXt1KJ_4Nu3NPNnC1g1mw/viewform
Anyone in need of crisis counseling is encouraged to call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 . You can also text ''TalkWithUs'' to 66746.
For further updates, follow the Boston Police Department on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/boston_police
If you have any additional resources, please share them at boston@eater.com"
Lastly, I offer this advice: TURN OFF THE TV for as long as you can.