VIDEO: Several community members gathered Saturday morning in Wesley Chapel for the Rotary Club’s 9/11 Memorial Mile. It’s a time to remember Sept. 11 and something more โ there are heroes all around us.
The annual event honors those who lost their lives on 9/11, but this year’s memorial also highlighted the everyday heroes who continue to serve local communities. “You never want to forget 9/11. And it’s great that we honor the memory of those who lost their lives that day,” said Taurean Mathis, assistant chief of police with Tarpon Springs Police Department.
Among those honored was Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Buddy Allman, who nearly died while serving during Hurricane Milton in October. Allman was responding to flooding when disaster struck. “When I pulled onto that roadway, the road just absolutely collapsed underneath me. I went 10 to 14 feet down, and it was all water,” he said.
His partner, Lieutenant Shireman, became his lifeline. “Lieutenant Shireman swam back down and pulled me out of the vehicle up to the shore, where I had several residents that pulled over to assist,” Allman said. The deputy spent 17 days in a coma and another two weeks recovering before he could walk out of the hospital. Despite the traumatic brain injury he still deals with, Allman remains grateful. “I wake up every day happy to wake up, happy to be here,” he said.
The memorial also honored the memory of Tarpon Springs Police Officer Charles Kondek, who was killed in the line of duty in December 2014. His widow, Teresa Kondek, attended the event. Officer Kondek responded to what seemed like a routine call. “Just a simple noise complaint that wasn’t his call. But it’s in their nature to do what’s close, do what’s right,” Teresa said. The call turned deadly when Charles was shot seven times by the suspect, who then ran him over with the police vehicle. “He was shot seven times. The suspect entered the vehicle and then backed over my husband who was already on the ground,” Teresa said.
Since her husband’s death, Teresa has become an advocate for law enforcement officers. “Out of this tragedy has come some great things that Teresa has done to advocate for men and women of law enforcement,” Mathis said. Both Deputy Allman and Teresa Kondek exemplify the resilience that the memorial seeks to honor. For Allman, recovery is a daily process. “So that’s my goal, every day to get a little better than I was the day before,” he said.
The Wesley Chapel Rotary Club has hosted the 9/11 Memorial Mile for seven years. Proceeds from Saturday’s race go to a scholarship fund for Pasco County students studying to become first responders. As organizers noted, the event serves as a reminder that heroes aren’t made on just one day โ they’re made every day.
