NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- First Responders
Children's Foundation, the national non-profit organization
that provides financial relief to families of first responders who
have been injured or killed in the line of duty, today
announced that it will present its 20th Annual
Thanksgiving Day Parade Breakfast on Thursday, November 25th (Thanksgiving
morning) at the Bryant Park Grill, 25 West 40th Street
in New York City. The Foundation's
2020 breakfast was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making
this year's celebration the first time in two years that these
first responder families from New
York and New Jersey can get
together on Thanksgiving to remember their loved ones.
Over 1,500 first responder family members are expected to attend
the breakfast and will enjoy an exclusive front-row view of the
parade as it passes along Sixth Avenue between 40th and
42nd Streets. The event has become an annual tradition
for line-of-duty families across the spectrum of first responder
agencies to support each other during the holiday season – which
can often be a difficult time of year for them. FRCF's very first
Thanksgiving Day Breakfast was held twenty years ago in
November 2001, following the
aftermath of 9/11. It was created to heal the spirits of first
responder families who suffered loss because of the tragedy. Since
then, over 20,000 children and relatives of first responders have
attended the breakfast. The event is free and features great food
in a safe, fun setting. https://1strcf.org/thanksgiving/
In addition to honoring the fallen first responders and their
families, First Responders Children's Foundation will also
honor entertainment executive Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun
for the significant impact he has had on the lives of first
responder families across the country. Braun's SB Projects has
provided over $5
million for the foundation, generously donating 100%
of net profits from streams and sales of the hit Justin Bieber and Ariana
Grande duet "Stuck With U." This directly impacted first
responders and their families across the
United States. The funds raised have provided for 283
college scholarships averaging $3,000
each; 108 funerals for first responders who died in the line of
duty, and over 1,965 individual hardship grants ranging from
$200 to $2,000. They have also provided over $1.9 million in Covid-19 hardship grants and
close to $200,000 for the
Foundation's various mental health programs.
"My mother instilled the importance of giving back from when I
was a young boy. She always said, 'I don't know what you're doing,
but at least make sure you find a way to help others.' I've kept
that in my mind since childhood and one of SB Projects' core values
is doing well by doing good. I'm sincerely honored to be recognized
by the First Responders Children Foundation," says Braun. "It's
important that we take action and care of our neighbors. At SB
Projects we wanted to bolster Covid-19 relief efforts for first
responders across the United
States and wanted to focus on supporting children by giving
them a brighter future through access to higher education. We thank
them all for their dedication, sacrifice and service."
First Responders Children's Foundation's scholarship
recipients and their families from across the country will
enjoy the festivities, including its CSX Pride in Service
scholarship recipients. The CSX Pride in Service
scholarships are designated to answer a specific need for first
responder families due to tragic circumstances or financial
hardship. 142 scholarships have been awarded to students attending
colleges and universities across the nation. Many of the students
are pursuing careers that will allow them to give back to the
community including nursing, psychology, biology, cyber security,
forensic science, and criminal justice. Bryan Tucker, Vice President of Communications
for CSX, will extend congratulations to the students for their
academic accomplishments and community service.
"We are proud of our partnership with First Responders
Children's Foundation and the CSX Pride in Service scholarships we
make possible together," said Bryan
Tucker, vice president of Corporate Communications at CSX.
"It is an honor to provide financial support that helps these
incredible children of first responders pursue their passions. This
year, we are thrilled to be able to celebrate with them and their
families through this special event."
The Foundation will also welcome NYPD Commissioner
Dermot Shea, FDNY Commissioner
Daniel Nigro; and Port
Authority of NY & NJ Superintendent of Police
Edward Cetnar.
FDNY Chaplain Rabbi Joseph
Potasnik will say the closing blessing.
"For the first time in two years, first responder families can
gather together on Thanksgiving and collectively celebrate the
memory of their loved ones who died in the line of duty," said
Jillian Crane, President of the
First Responders Children's Foundation. "It will be a
morning filled with gratitude and one in which we can show our love
and support to the families in person. Many of our Scholarship
recipients will be attending. Some of them have lost a parent to
Covid-19 and others to 9/11 or a 9/11 related illness. Some of them
never even had the chance to spend a Thanksgiving with their fallen
first responder parent. So, there are somber moments, but over the
course of twenty years, this breakfast has evolved into a happy
occasion and a celebration of resilience."
In addition, 9/11 first responders Matt McCauley and Tom Wilson will be in attendance. Both
gentlemen lobbied Congress to secure permanent funding of the
September 11th Victim Compensation
Fund, which was signed into law in July
2019, just six weeks after their fellow first responder
Luis Alvarez testified before
Congress - and only one month after he passed away. Mr Alvarez's
widow, Laine Alvarez will
also be in attendance.
The 20th Annual FRCF Thanksgiving Day Parade
Breakfast is funded in part by the generous support of sponsors
including Diamond Sponsors Bryant Park Corporation and
CSX, Platinum Sponsors INVNT, Louis Vuitton, and Kay Family
Foundation, Gold Sponsors Robert
Cagnazzi, Carol
Cheng, Michael N.
Emmerman & Patricia A.
Stockhausen, Marilyn & James Simons Charitable
Fund, and The Rosinsky Family, Silver Sponsors Global
Foundation for First Responders, Logicalis,
Electronix Systems, GreenbergTraurig, MSA
Security, and Dan, Lisa & Taylor
Stevens, and Bronze Sponsors Century Direct,
Thomas & Annmarie Flood,
and Winter Village at Bryant Park.
About First Responders Children's Foundation
For
almost 20 years, First Responders Children's Foundation has been
providing college scholarships to the children of first responder
parents who have been injured or lost in the line of duty. The
Foundation also awards grants to families enduring significant
financial hardship and supports educational activities and programs
created by first responder organizations to benefit children or the
communities in which they live. The First Responders Children's
Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was established in
March 2020 to provide financial
hardship grants, PPE, and hotel accommodations to first responders
on the front lines of the pandemic. The Foundation also pays for
funerals of first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
More information about First Responders Children's Foundation is
available at www.1stRCF.org. Follow First Responders
Children's Foundation on Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram @1stRCF
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SOURCE First Responders Children's Foundation