This is my second year participating as a shavee on the fire department team for St. Baldrick's Fundraiser, so i'm adding a second child who i'll be honoring that night in March.
My first honoree is Nicole Catello, who a friend of mine tried to introduce me to a few years ago. I had found out about Nicky who was 4 years old, and striken with Rhabdomyosarcoma. She loved firemen (naturally), and so I got her a fire dept tshirt from where I work, and planned on delivering it to her personally. She was so excited to have a fireman come to see her, and I was looking forward to meeting her and making her smile. The week I was finally going to meet her for the first time, she passed away. It was heart wrenching for me. Nicky earned her wings at such a young age.
My second honoree is Jake Amato who was diagnosed about 5 yrs ago with A.L.L. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) is now 8 years old, and also the son of 20 year FDNY veteran and Farmingdale resident Ken Amato, who I work with in Queens. We held a fundraiser in Sept. 2010 at Mulcahy's of Wantagh for Jake titled "Friends for Jake", and along with the help of the Rich Cronin Hope Foundation, and Orange Freeze, managed to raise over $30,000 in donations. Jake is currently in treatment awaiting a bone marrow/stem cell transplant.
If you can donate funds to St Baldricks, we'd appreciate it. If you'd like to come down to celebrate with us in March, all are welcome. But plz, do something. Thank you for your support.