Former Bruin Byers joins Worcester-NYC firefighters in benefit ballgame Aug. 27
August 23, 2005
Contact: Link McKie
(617) 373-8324
(617) 373-8773 (fax)
l.mckie@neu.edu
When firefighters from the Worcester, Mass., and New York City fire departments play a benefit baseball game Saturday, Aug. 27, in Norwich, Conn., to raise money for causes related to tragedies suffered by both departments, former Boston Bruin Lyndon Byers will suit up for Worcester.
The game will be played at 2 p.m. in Norwich Navigators stadium, home of the AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
The teams will split all of the proceeds from the game evenly. The Worcester firefighters team will donate its share to Worcester Fire Fighters Memorial Park, which is to be dedicated to the six Worcester firefighters who died fighting a warehouse fire in 1999. The New York firefighters are donating their share to aid firefighters disabled because of the terrorist attacks in New York Sept. 11, 2001, and to aid widows of firefighters killed in the aftermath of the attacks.
The firefighters are making seven luxury boxes available, at $1,000 each. Included are 24 tickets, food and beverages. The firefighters also are donating one luxury box to the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts.
Tickets are $5 apiece, and free to children under age 5. Tickets and luxury boxes are available by contacting Ray Baillargeon, a Worcester firefighter who organized the benefit game, at (774) 696-7386 or rayb101963@charter.net. The stadium seats 6,000.
Scott Miller, a New York firefighter, is head coach of the New York Fire Department team.
Each team has about 20 firefighters playing.
Byers, who's playing with the Worcester firefighters, spent most of his 15-year professional hockey career with the Boston Bruins. Byers became a celebrity on Boston-area radio after his hockey career ended. He often takes part in events for charities and nonprofits, and has helped those aiding firefighters' causes in the past. Byers had a role on television's "Rescue Me," which stars Byers' friend and Worcester's own Denis Leary.
The Navigators have donated five family packs of tickets to be used for any remaining Navigator game this season. The five family packs, which contain four tickets each, will be given away during the game between the firefighters.
The Worcester Fire Fighters Memorial Committee just launched its public campaign to raise $4 million to establish Worcester Fire Fighters Memorial Park at a site near the Worcester Fire Department's headquarters on scenic Salisbury Pond across from Institute Park. The park will honor the six Worcester firefighters who died valiantly fighting a fire Dec. 3, 1999, at Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co.
The Worcester Fire Fighters Memorial Committee began working in late 2001 to establish a memorial to honor Firefighters Paul A. Brotherton, Timothy P. Jackson, Jeremiah M. Lucey, James F. "Jay" Lyons III, Joseph T. McGuirk and Lt. Thomas E. Spencer. They died Dec. 3, 1999, trying to save the lives of others in an abandoned warehouse off Route 290 near downtown Worcester. Their deaths were the worst loss of firefighters' lives in more than 20 years in a building fire in America, and the third worst fire in Massachusetts' history.
Donations to the memorial can be made to Worcester Fire Fighters Memorial on its Web site, http://www.fallen-heroes.org, or by mail to Worcester Fire Fighters Memorial, 34 Glennie Street, Worcester, Mass. 01605.
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Last modified: Aug 25, 2005, 15:07 EDT