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A Few Clouds Joe Hunter Memorial Tournament donates $20,000 to Tunnel to Towers foundation
Community helps raise money in memory of South Side graduate and FDNY firefighter who died on 9/11
The top fire department drill teams in the state gathered at Fireman’s Memorial Park in Hempstead on June 28, for the 20th annual Joseph G. Hunter Memorial Tournament.
Hunter was a volunteer member of the South Hempstead Fire Department and an FDNY firefighter with squad 288, who selflessly sacrificed his life to try and help save others during 9/11.
In his memory, Matt Spinelli, one of his close childhood friends and a colleague with the South Hempstead Fire Department helped organize the tournament with the help of the Hunter family in 2003.
“We wanted to do something to keep his memory alive,” Spinelli said.
Each year, proceeds from the event are donated to provide two scholarships in his name — one at South Side High School in Rockville Centre, where he graduated in 1987, and one at Hofstra University, where he received a bachelor’s in business management in 1994. A portion of the proceeds also goes to help families in need who are connected with the volunteer fire departments and FDNY.
“We’ve raised a good amount of money over the years,” Spinelli said. “This year, we wanted to do something bigger so we’re donating $20,000 to the Tunnel to Towers foundation.”
Before the start of the event on Thursday evening, a check was presented to Gold Star spouse Mecca Nelson, whose husband US Army Sgt. Mario Nelson was killed in Iraq, on behalf of the Tunnel to Towers organization.
Tunnel to Towers is a charitable organization founded in tribute to FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died during the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Each September the organization hosts a 5K run from the Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers in homage to the 343 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers and the thousands of civilians who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
The competition consists of eight different skill-based events, which include three-man ladder, B ladder, C ladder, B hose, C hose, efficiency, motor pump, and buckets. The scores in each race are then combined to determine the winning fire department.
This year’s winners were the Central Islip Hoboes with 27.5 points overall. In second place were the Islip Wolves with 21.5 points, and the North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers with 17 points.
Also participating in this year’s tournament were the North Bellmore Rinky Dinks, the West Hempstead Westerners, the South Hempstead Rascals, the Farmingville Bandits, West Sayville Flying Dutchmen, Spencerport Red Onions, Hagerman Gamblers, the Bay Shore Redskins, the Copiague Yellowbirds, and the Carle Place Frogs.
