Nyack Restaurant Hosts Charity Dunk
Tank In Honor Of Firefighter Hero
LoHud.com 8/28/09
When
Pamela Gibbs was asked to come up with a plan for this year's
Septemberfest, she thought about a local hero who was killed on
Sept. 11, 2001.
Gibbs, event coordinator for the Black Bear Saloon, said yesterday that her restaurant planned to host a fundraiser in honor of Greg Sikorsky, a New York City firefighter who perished at Ground Zero with hundreds of his colleagues.
Sikorsky, a member of Squad 41 in the Bronx who was also a member of the Hillcrest Fire Department, had raced into the burning Tower 2 of the World Trade Center and didn't come out.
Based on the remains of Sikorsky and his co-workers found months later, it appeared that the squad members were at the 43rd-floor elevator lobby trying to rescue people trapped in an elevator when the tower collapsed, his family members have said.
Gibbs said she and her family have patronized Sikorsky's family-owned auto repair shop in Monsey for at least 20 years and have felt close to the family's loss.
"It was a big deal in the community when it happened," Gibbs said. "We just wanted to make sure that no one forgets and something good is being done on that weekend."
During this year's Septemberfest scheduled for Sept. 13, a dunk tank featuring volunteer firefighters will be set up in front of the restaurant on Main Street.
Gibbs said people can participate by donating $2 for three throws.
"You can throw as many as you like," Gibbs said. "We're just hoping that the community will come out and participate."
All proceeds from the dunk tank will be donated to the Squad 41 Heroes Fund.
Squad 41 lost six members on Sept. 11: Lt. Mike Healy and firefighters Bobby Hamilton, Bruce VanHine, Tommy Cullen, Mike Lyons and Sikorsky.
Perry Sikorsky, Greg's brother, said he was pleased the restaurant was planning the event.
"I think it's a great idea. Eight years later, everybody is still remembering my brother and is willing to do anything in his honor," Perry Sikorsky said. "It's a great thing that people do not forget about what happened."
The Septemberfest, a street fair sponsored by the Nyack Chamber of Commerce, has attracted tens of thousands of people every year.
This year's event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 13 on Broadway and Main Street. The streets will be shut down to car traffic for the day.
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