Rochester's community center was renamed in honor of freelance war correspondent James Foley on Tuesday evening.

Foley worked as a journalist in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lybia and Syria before he was held captive and killed by ISIS on Aug. 19, 2014. He was 40 years old when he died.

Foley's parents lived in Rochester for 25 years, and relied on the support of the community after their son's death. The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation was founded in the city.

Diane Foley said on Wednesday that she and her husband, John, were honored by the dedication.

 

"It was a huge honor. Probably one of the best ones of all, to be honored by the community center in Rochester, where so many wonderful things happen," Diane Foley said.

The community center on Wakefield Street houses a food pantry as well as a clothing and thrift store.

The foundation, which moved its headquarters to Marcy Street in Portsmouth this past November, will continue to host an annual walk and run in Rochester each fall. The event usually is held in October, the month of Foley's birth.

This year's walk and run will be held on Oct. 16, according to the foundation's website.

Foley was born on Oct. 18.

The walk and run raises money for the foundation, which advocates for the freedom of all Americans being held hostage abroad. There are currently 48 publicly disclosed hostages and wrongful detention cases the foundation is following, according to their website.

Journalist safety curricula for undergraduate and graduate students has also been developed by the foundation.

For more information, visit jamesfoleyfoundation.org.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @KimberleyHaas.

 

 

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