| |
Ray Bourque was one of several hockey legends on hand for Denis Leary's "Hockey's Greatest Skate for America's Bravest."
|
Leary Foundation raises
500K for firefighters
By Bob Snow | Special to NHL.com
September 29, 2003
BOSTON -- Starry, starry night -- actually it was afternoon -- was the setting Sunday on the footprint where such legends as Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Ray Bourque once plied their trade on the Bruins' frozen sheet. This day, however, was reserved for the fourth annual celebrity hat trick; "Hockey's Greatest Skate for America's Bravest", begun in 2000 by comedian Denis Leary who founded the Leary Firefighters Foundation after his cousin, Jeremiah Lucey, and five other Worcester, Massachusetts firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty in December 1999.
The mission of the Leary Firefighters Foundation is to provide funding and
resources to fire departments to obtain the highest level of equipment,
technology and training, as well as to provide resources to the families of
firefighters who have perished or been injured in the line of duty.
"When we had the tragedy in Worcester," said Leary, "Cam Neely was a good
friend of mine and he already had his Foundation, and along with Bobby Orr
they stepped right in. It was basically their idea, and you can't say no
to Bobby Orr and Cam Neely. Then 9/11 had a lot to do with the getting the
spotlight on this kind of event."
NHL greats, Hollywood celebrities, and national NHL media, along with the
crowd of 15,000 paid tribute to the firefighters of America -- especially
from Worcester and New York City -- who risk their lives, plying their trade
on frozen urban streets in the middle of winter or in skyscrapers
attacked by terrorists.
Sponsors included MasterCard and the EMC Corporation. The MC All-Stars were coached by Orr and Don Cherry, and captained by Bruin great Johnny Bucyk. Leary captained the EMC All-Stars, while Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita and comedian Lenny Clarke handled the duties behind the pine.
The event began with moments of silence for firefighters lost in the line of duty, and for Ace Bailey, the former Boston Bruin who perished, along with Los Angeles Kings scout Mark Bavis, on Sept. 11, 2001.
"I think the crowd was happier than we were to see those Bruins come out in their uniforms," Leary said about the player introductions.
The MC roster included Worcester firefighter Tiger White and NYFD's Pete
Gillespie, Esposito, Neely, Ken Hodge, Rick Middleton, Gerry Cheevers, Bill
Ranford, Bourque, Pat LaFontaine, Marcel Dionne, ABC Sports hockey analyst
John Saunders, U.S. Senator John Kerry, and Michael J. Fox.
The boys on blades for EMC were NYFD's Joe Byrne, Boston Fire Department's
Jim Welsh, Denis Potvin, Guy LaFleur, Johnny McKenzie, Joe Thornton, Brad
Park, Pete Mahovlich, Glenn Anderson, sponsor rep Paul Palandjian, ESPN
hockey analyst Darren Pang, and Hollywood's Bobby Farrelly, Cameron Bancroft
and Tim Robbins.
Local DJ Greg Hill and Derek Sanderson were game announcers.
With four goals each by Neely and LaFontaine, Anderson's hat trick, and
penalty-shot goals by Thornton, Middleton and Leary, the Fleet had many
priceless moments in the 18-10 shootout won by the EMC All-Stars. None were better than the scoring proclivities of the Neely-Middleton-LaFontaine line, or Fox's corner-stuffing move on Farrelly 10 minutes in, or Leary's second-effort penalty shot, the first interrupted by his own player's sliding their sticks in his path to the net, that ended the scoring for the evening.
In the postgame banter with the media by Leary, Clark, Bourque, Robbins,
Cherry, Orr and Kerry, the atmosphere was boys being boys -- to benefit men
having to be men.
"Fox scored a goal," Leary said. "But his big thrill came in the pre-game warm-up when he passed to Guy LaFleur from the corner. He said, 'Hey Denis, I don't have my glasses, did I just send a pass to Guy Lafleur?' It was a little faster than most of these charity games, and a lot of dipsey-doodle.
"I come off after a shift and I can barely breathe and Gordie Howe starts
telling me a story about a fight he was in 30 years ago. I said to myself,
'This is great, fantastic.'"
"My daughter was here," said Robbins who is a rabid Rangers fan. "My
ambition today was to score a goal for her." Robbins got a little
redemption by scoring two on Bruin ice.
"I'll be hearing about that tip-in all year," said Leary who skates pickup games with Robbins in New York.
"Ticket sales took off," said Clarke, "when Bobby Orr said he'd lace them up."
| |
Gordie Howe handled the duties behind the bench for Leary's EMC All-Stars.
|
"I haven't been on skates in two years," said Orr. "And don't know if I'll ever skate again."
"My performance was patently evident -- barely marginal," said Kerry. "My
goal today was survival. To be out there on the ice with them is a fantasy.
Some of us realize we shouldn't be here, but you know what, we're damn glad
we were and enjoyed every minute of it."
On a serious note, both Kerry and Leary touched upon the mission of the
Foundation, and the needs of America's firefighters and their frontline
responsibilities.
"It falls, amazingly enough, to people like Denis Leary and others to
spontaneously come together," said Kerry who is also a presidential
candidate, "to help fill the gaps of need. It shouldn't have to happen that
way."
"You can't get better publicity that having 15,000 people in a building
having a good time," said Leary. "You saw how they feel about the
firefighters with the applause when they were introduced. People have a
genuine warmth for these guys, and hockey players feel the same way. There's
a brotherhood amongst hockey players that's in the neighborhood that
firefighters have for each other. It's a win-win -- and actually a
win-win-win because my team won. It's a way for people to publicly honor and
express their feelings for firefighters. And beyond that, we're proud of the
fact that you can physically see the money that we raise in the burn tower
in Worcester or a new vehicle (in New York). Those are the keys to the
Foundation. Hopefully, the training facility here in Boston where some of
this money goes will be up and running next."
What comes next for the annual Leary Foundation event?
"I'll sit down with Bobby (Orr) the next couple of days," said Leary, "and start talking (about next year)."
In the meantime, benefactors still find it difficult to describe Leary's
efforts. Sunday's proceeds added $500,000 dollars to the fund, which had
already exceeded one million. Firefighters from Massachusetts to Chicago
were on hand.
"For as much as he does for us," said WFD's Al Iocco, "it's just a fantastic amount. He gave out a million dollars within three weeks (of Sept. 11th)."
"It touches home because it started with us," said Worcester fireman Dave
Halvorsen. "What they do, you can't describe what it means to us."
Red lights and sirens were inside the FleetCenter Sunday -- supporting those in the firehouses of American cities everyday of the year.
|
