Astoria funeral scheduled for detective who fought for Sept. 11 fund

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Animage taken from video shows Alvarez speaking during a hearing by the House Judiciary Committee as it considers permanent authorization of the Victim Compensation Fund on June 11. US Network Pool via AP, Pool.

Animage taken from video shows Alvarez speaking during a hearing by the House Judiciary Committee as it considers permanent authorization of the Victim Compensation Fund on June 11. US Network Pool via AP, Pool.


The Associated Press

A funeral will be held Wednesday for a former New York City police detective who was a leader in the fight for the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Detective Luis Alvarez appeared with former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart last month to plead with Congress to extend the compensation fund.

Alvarez, who died Saturday of colorectal cancer, was admitted to a hospice within days of his testimony.

His funeral will be held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria.

Alvarez spent three months in the World Trade Center rubble after the 2001 attacks. Researchers continue to study potential links between responders' illnesses and toxins from the cleanup.

The bill to replenish the fund that provides compensation to those responders passed a congressional committee unanimously.