Stained Glass Pieces Commemorate Search and Rescue Service on 9/11

Two search and rescue team members who served at 9/11 recently received stained glass awards depicting themselves and their dogs. The pieces were custom-designed by artist and retired New York City detective Gay Ann Wayne of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, who also served on the NYC/FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force for 19 years, including service during 9/11.

One of the awards shows Shirley Hammond of Palo Alto, CA, and her Doberman, SonnyBoy; the other depicts Randy Gross of Sacramento, CA, and his dog, Dusty.

The stained glass works were created and donated by Wayne and presented on behalf of Finding One Another at two different ceremonies by SAR member Nancy Brooks of Ramapo Rescue Association, who flew to California for the occasion. Brooks presented a program on the stained glass in October at the Doberman Pinscher Nationals in Mitchell, KY.

Gross and his dog served at Ground Zero following 9/11 and were the subject of an iconic photo, which Wayne used as the basis for her piece. The stained glass was presented to Gross at a ceremony at the Sacramento Metro Fire Administration building this past spring. His golden retriever, Dusty, died in 2007.

Shirley Hammond and SonnyBoy, who died in 2011, also worked at the 9/11 sites. Nancy Brooks did an informal presentation at her home, with her husband, son, his girlfriend, and Lynn Englebert, another 9/11 K9 handler, in attendance.

The stained glass was shipped to California because of the generosity of Aiston Fine Arts Services of Long Island City, NY. Paws ‘n’ Pilots co-founder Debi Boies and member Margo Walker referred Finding One Another to Aiston’s owner Mark Aiston, who donated his packing services and arranged for the pieces to be shipped to the Palo Alto Fire Department, where they were stored before the ceremonies.