A six-foot-tall bronze statue, a gift to the City of New York from the Matthews International Corporation of Pittsburgh, has returned to its home outside the Milford Plaza Hotel, which is located at 44th Street and Eighth Avenue. The statue — a bronze kneeling firefighter — had been on loan to the United States Tennis Association at Arthur Ashe Stadium for this year's U.S. Open. A memorial to the firefighters and members of the law enforcement agencies who perished during the September 11 attacks, the statue will now permanently reside outside the Milford Plaza, thanks to the efforts of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, Inc. and the Milstein family. The two have raised $100,000 for the upkeep of the statue. Anthony Bergamo, who is the general manager of the Milford Plaza, is also the chairman of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, Inc.

In a statement, the Milford Plaza staff said, "It is hoped that this Memorial Statue will serve as a source of inspiration to the numerous firefighters, police officers and emergency service personnel and volunteers who worked tirelessly in the rescue and recovery efforts at the site of the World Trade Center disaster as well as provide a tangible place for people to grieve and leave flowers, notes, and other memorials to the victims.

—By Andrew Gans