Senate Resolution No. 2566

BY: Senator KAMINSKY

        MOURNING  the  untimely  passing of Lazar LaPenna,
        Long Island Little Leaguer and fourth-grade  student
        at East Elementary School in Long Beach, New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  with  great  sorrow  and  deep  regret  that  this
Legislative Body records the passing of Lazar LaPenna,  of  Long  Beach,
New  York,  on Friday, April 29, 2022, two days after his 10th Birthday;
and

  WHEREAS, The son of Gregg and Monique LaPenna, Lazar  was  a  happy,
and energetic young man who loved his family, sports and life; he was an
avid  baseball  and  football fan and dreamed of becoming a professional
athlete; and

  WHEREAS, Since the age of four, Lazar LaPenna has been a  member  of
the  Little  League,  and  each  year,  has  picked  his  jersey  number
corresponding with his age; for this  season,  however,  he  decided  he
wanted  to  keep  the number nine, because he wanted to stay that number
forever; and

  WHEREAS, April 29th began just like any day in the young life  of  a
child  who was looking forward to playing his first baseball game of the
season; he got up in the morning, and with his dad/coach, excitedly  met
his fellow players at the Little League baseball field; and

  WHEREAS,  When  it was his turn at the plate, Lazar LaPenna stood at
the bag and swung the bat; after hitting  the  ball,  he  excitedly  ran
towards  first base, and tragically experienced an epileptic seizure and
collapsed; unfortunately, attempts to save his  life  were  unsuccessful
and he was transported to a local hospital; and

  WHEREAS,  Since  this  tragic  day,  baseball  fans  throughout Long
Island, and New York State as a whole have been celebrating his life and
the many accomplishments he had reached at such a young age; classmates,
teammates and other teams in the area  are  paying  tribute,  displaying
baseball bats on porches and using the hashtag BatsOutForLazar; even his
beloved  Mets honored him by leaving three bats leaning against the wall
outside of their clubhouse during a game; and

  WHEREAS, Lazar LaPenna is survived by his loving parents and his two
brothers, Gerry and Blaze, as well as  numerous  other  family  members,
friends,  and  the  entire Long Beach community who will all cherish his
memory; and

  WHEREAS, Lazar LaPenna will always be remembered  for  his  athletic
talent,  positive  attitude,  and outgoing personality which exuded with
the joy of being a young man in the prime of his life; and

  WHEREAS, Baseball is an all-American past time,  and  Lazar  LaPenna
died  doing  what he loved to do; he will forever serve as an example of
good sportsmanship and his memory will truly inspire both  children  and
adults to start each day with a smile and live life to the very fullest;
and


  WHEREAS,  Armed  with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Lazar LaPenna leaves behind a legacy which will long  endure
the  passage  of  time  and  will  remain  as a comforting memory to all
befriended, admired and loved; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
take  a  moment  of  silence  to honor the memory of Lazar LaPenna, Long
Island Little Leaguer and fourth-grade student at East Elementary School
in Long Beach, New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Lazar LaPenna.