Suffolk County Legislator Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) honored the FDNY Firefighter John F. McNamara Foundation, also known as the “Johnny Mac Foundation,” for their 10 year anniversary at the February 1 general meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature in Hauppauge.
The “Johnny Mac Foundation” was created in 2010 after FDNY Firefighter John F. McNamara sadly passed away from cancer related to his 500+ hour rescue efforts in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Legislator Donnelly presented a County Proclamation to John’s wife Jennifer McNamara, joined by their son Jack McNamara and board members Janet Borowski, Dr. Kathleen Devine and Sheriff Errol Toulon.
The Foundation continues John’s legacy of service and compassion for others, especially within his community of Blue Point and for his fellow 9/11 First Responders and their families. It works tirelessly to fulfill its mission to “ensure 9/11 responders, firefighters, police and military are never forgotten and provides financial assistance where possible.” Many 9/11 charities are supported by the foundation and it is also active in the local community, giving back by creating fundraisers and adopting families during the holidays, among other things.
Legislator Donnelly, a 9/11 first responder himself, worked with and knew John McNamara personally during his years as a member of the FDNY. Both John’s wife Jennifer and son Jack are active in the foundation where Jennifer serves as founder and president of the board.
“I’ll never forget running into John at Ground Zero in the aftermath of September 11 and his dedication to bringing closure to grieving families as part of the search and recovery operation,” said Legislator Donnelly. “The Johnny Mac Foundation is truly one of the premier charities in the first responder community and a wonderful tribute and legacy to the incredible person that John McNamara was. On behalf of the entire Legislature, I thank Jennifer, Jack and everyone involved with the Foundation for the incredible work they do to ensure 9/11 responders are properly taken care of.”
The Johnny Mac Foundation is proud to have recently celebrated the opening of the new Bayport-Blue Point Library, Number 14 on John’s list of last wishes he created before he passed. The foundation will be holding its annual “14th Wish Gala” on Saturday March 5 at Smithtown Landing Country Club in Smithtown. For more information, go to:
Recent Comments