Willie Wines Jr. (IronFiremen.com), Zach Green (MN8FoxFire.com), and I showed up today in New York City. Haw Dilly! Willie and I drove in…<cough>, I drove in and Willie slept off his hangover today. We showed up in Hoboken, New Jersey and met up with Zach. Once Willie got his thumb out of his mouth, we headed directly to FDNY Rescue 2 to drop off the check from money we raised for the Rescue 2 MAYDAY Fund. Let me tell you…it was a blast. Remember, we had been here last trip (read more here). However, this time it was more…it was better. We were supporting them. They had just returned from a fire and were eating. We didn’t want to interrupt, but we enjoyed some coffee while they ate.
Yeah, they made a pot of coffee. It meant the world to me. One Effin cup of coffee was all I needed. If you remember, I have been kicking myself since our last trip for NOT drinking the cup of coffee I was offered. This time I drank it…and they opened up to us more as time went on.
Remember, we are in their house. We felt welcome. However, if you ever travel with Willie or I, you will quickly learn that you get in and get out before anyone gets tired of you being there. Often this means leaving before you might need to…but you leave on good terms.
We visited. I drank a cup of coffee, as did Willie and Zach, and then we left. We felt great. Oh, and we left several Brotherhood Chips…just as we always do!
Here are some pics. Below that is the press release on the money we raised for the Rescue 2 MAYDAY Fund.
Effort Led by MN8-Foxfire, FireCritic.com and IronFiremen.com Cincinnati, OH, January 31, 2012— More than $2,300 was raised through efforts by MN8-Foxfire, the developer of breakthrough illuminating products for firefighters, Lt. Rhett Fleitz of the Fire Critic blog (FireCritic.com) and Captain Willie Wines Jr. of the Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen blog (IronFiremen.com) to support two injured firefighters with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Rescue 2. During the weeklong fundraiser, MN8-Foxfire donated 50 percent of product sales through the company website to the FDNY Rescue 2 Mayday Fund. Contributions were also collected through donations from firefighters and individuals.
Today, MN8-Foxfire President Zachary Green, Fleitz and Wines presented a check to the FDNY Rescue 2 Mayday Fund to Captain Liam Flaherty at the Rescue 2 station in New York. “We were especially devastated to learn about the fire that injured the two Rescue 2 firefighters, as we have a special connection with Rescue 2 since we spent time with Captain Flaherty and his crew last year,” said Green. “It was an honor to have participated in the efforts to raise money to help these heroes and visit with Rescue 2 again today,” said Wines. “When something happens to one of our firefighting brothers, the firefighting community pulls together,” said Fleitz. “I’m proud to be part of a brotherhood that cares about and helps one another.”
On Monday, December 19, 2011, two firefighters from Rescue 2 suffered severe burns during a brownstone structure fire and were in critical condition upon hospital admittance. Both men face long recoveries. One is still hospitalized in critical condition and the other is now recovering at home under the care of a burn center outpatient program.