11 New York City firefighters among volunteers flying to San Diego County
this 9/11 weekend to help rebuild homes lost in Cedar Fire of '03
Lions Clubs, San Diego CRT, JetBlue Airways offer support
NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- As their way of saying
"Thank You to America" for the support given to NYC following 9/11, The New
York Says Thank You Foundation (http://www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org) announced
today it is sending a group of fourteen volunteers from New York City to San
Diego County this coming 9/11 weekend to help rebuild homes lost in last
year's California wildfires. The group, which includes eleven New York City
firefighters from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, will be volunteering at
two home rebuilding projects in Harbison Canyon, a rural town of 388 homes of
which 287 burned in last year's fires. The rebuilding projects are being
coordinated by the Carpenters Local 547 San Diego, members of the Harbison
Canyon Lions Club, and the San Diego Firestorm Community Recovery Team
(http://www.firestormrecoveryteam.org).
"We could think of no greater statement and cathartic gesture than to have
New York City firefighters with us on this trip and have them participate in
rebuilding projects as a way to say "thank you" to America for the support
shown our city by volunteers from all across the country in the days, weeks,
and months following 9/11" stated Jeff Parness, founder of The New York Says
Thank You Foundation.
DATE/TIME/PLACE: The NYC send off event will be at the FDNY Battalion 11
fire station at 145 West 100th St. (Amsterdam/Columbus) between 3:00PM &
3:30PM ET Friday September 10th. On Saturday September 11th, the group will
participate in two rebuilding projects in Harbison Canyon, CA at 126 West
Noakes (behind Bobby's Market) from 8:00AM until 4PM PT and will be honored at
a BBQ dinner at the Harbison Canyon Community Center in Old Ironsides Park at
326 Harbison Canyon Road at 5:00PM PT.
BACKGROUND: The New York Says Thank You effort garnered national media
attention last year as the grassroots organization was formed in response to a
suggestion from a 5-year-old boy in New York who wanted to help children who
lost their homes in the Southern California wildfires of October 2003. Over
500 New Yorkers and Americans across the United States participated in the
group's initial cross-country relief drive to support the families devastated
by the California wildfires and to express gratitude for the nation's support
of New York City after the 9/11 terror attacks. Working with the San Diego
County Lions Clubs, the Rodeph Sholom School in Manhattan, and JetBlue
Airways, the organization also helped to outfit a recreation room for the 300
children of Harbison Canyon, a rural town east of San Diego in which 75% of
the homes burned in the firestorm. This current trip is being sponsored by The
New York Says Thank You Foundation through generous contributions from
individuals across the United States and with logistical support from JetBlue
Airways, the Harbison Canyon Lions Club and New York United Nations Lions
Club.
CONTACTS: For more information on this trip, please contact: Jeff Parness,
New York Says Thank You Foundation @ 917-806-8061. Local contacts in San Diego
County include Debbie Orozco, Harbison Canyon Lions Club @ 619-249-0781,
Elizabeth "Bucky" Blottin, District 4L6 Lions Club @ 619-997-7210 and
Christopher Crotty, San Diego Firestorm Community Recovery Team @ 619-291-
0407.
The New York Says Thank You Foundation
The mission of The New York Says Thank You Foundation is to commemorate in
action the love and support given to New York City by Americans from all
across the country following 9/11, by sending volunteers from New York City
each year on the 9/11 anniversary to help rebuild communities around the
United States affected by natural or man-made disasters. For more
information, please see http://www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org.
SOURCE The New York Says Thank You Foundation
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Related links:
http://www.newyorksaysthankyou.org
http://www.firestormrecoveryteam.org
CONTACT:
Jeff Parness of The New York Says Thank You
Foundation +1-917-806-8061, Jeff@NewYorkSaysThankYou.org
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