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THE daughter of a first responder said he has gained a second family as her mother was heralded at Fox’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
For this year’s All-American Christmas Tree Lighting, Fox has partnered with the First Responders Children’s Foundation, which provides financial support for children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
Adriana Hendrickson-Slack, a sophomore at New York University studying global public health, attended the ceremony with her mother, Marsha Hendrickson-Slack.
Marsha is a retired detective with the New York Police Department who served as a first responder during the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001.
She is now retired on line-of-duty disability from injuries she received at Ground Zero.
“I really feel that I’ve gained a second family,” Adriana told Dana Perino.
“It’s very hard growing up and watching my mom not being able to do a lot of things that other moms were able to do because of her injuries.”
Adriana said this past year, she has been able to grow and relate to other people.
Kristina Moon and her two children, Brianne, 12, and Colin, 10, were also in attendance to honor their husband and father, William “Billy” Moon, a firefighter with the FDNY.
Billy was getting ready for a drill inside his firehouse when he fell about 20 feet and suffered a serious head injury on December 12, 2022 – he later died from his injuries.
Kristina thanked the organization for helping cover some of the financial burdens, allowing her and her children to spend more time with their families without worrying.
“We get to hug each other a little tighter,” she said. “[There’s] a lot of happy memories.”
Earlier this month, Fox News Media organized an internal toy drive for employees to donate gifts for children who are part of the program.
Carolers were also at the event to ring in the holiday cheer.
Fox’s All-American tree is 50 feet fall and is decorated with 12,000 ornaments and 340,000 lights.
It’s decorated with red, white, and blue to keep with its patriotic theme – which took 27 hours to put together.
The tree has 500 branches and is topped with a star that is over six feet tall.
