Island Park Fire Department fundraising for Ed Schaefer

On Sept. 30, the Island Park Fire Department will be hosting a fundraiser for Ed Schaefer, one of its members, who is currently battling cancer.

The 10-13 Benefit for Ed Schaefer will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. at the fire house on Long Beach Road in Island Park.

“The reason we’re having it is that Eddie is a lifelong resident of Island Park,” said Garrett Gorton, an IPFD member and one of the event organizers. “He’s very active within the fire department. He’s the kind of guy that if there are calls to Bayview [Nursing Home] at 3 a.m., he’s the first to get up.”

Many of Schaefer’s friends from the IPFD and the NYPD (Schaefer is a retired officer) will be there, but the community is also welcome. Schaefer’s time with the NYPD inspired the name of the event: a 10-13 is the code for assisting a police officer.

Tickets cost $25 and include dinner. The night will also include a 50/50 raffle, prizes, sports memorabilia, certificates for dinner at local restaurants and more.

Residents can purchase tickets by going to the IPFD fire house, at 440 Long Beach Road. You can also call Garrett Gorton at 695-1941, Tom Gaynor at 974-3672, or Anthony D’Esposito at 695-3646.

“It’s just a bunch of us getting together to give a couple of dollars and help get him back on his feet, because he hasn’t been working the last couple of months,” said Gorton. “We’re just trying to get a few dollars to help him pay his bills, pay his car bill, pay his phone bill, and maybe a mortgage or two.”