Rye Professional Firefighters Honored For Their Support Of Maria Fareri Children's Hospital

Representatives from Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center – the children’s hospital for Westchester County, the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, Connecticut – visited the City of Rye firehouse on Locust Avenue Friday to recognize firefighters for their support.

For more than 10 years, according to the hospital, the Rye Professional Firefighters have been one of the strongest and most consistent supporters of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, which treats the region’s most seriously ill and injured children.

Through golf tournaments, “boot drives” and other initiatives, “Rye’s Bravest” have raised more than $65,000 for the hospital that saves children’s lives each and every day. The firefighters’ fundraising efforts for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in 2011 netted $9,000.

The group from Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center thanked the Rye Professional Firefighters for their dedication to children’s health and presented the team with a commemorative star icon that both resembled the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital logo and symbolized the Rye Professional Firefighters shining efforts.

“The Rye Professional Firefighters have been one of the staunchest supporters of the advanced pediatric services at Westchester Medical Center, even before Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital cared for its first child,” said Greg Alcock, senior director of Fund Development and Leadership Gifts, Westchester Medical Center.  “Their efforts have helped children undergoing burn care, enabled Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital to provide services that make the hospitalization process easier for children, and they’ve even chipped in at the hospital’s annual Go the Distance walk and family fun day event.  The Rye Professional Firefighter’s impact on the health of region’s children is significant.”

Jim Groglio, a Rye firefighter, the efforts are all for the kids.

“Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center is the place that cares for local children with serious medical conditions," Groglio said. "We’ve seen their great work firsthand, and we are happy our supporting efforts stay within the community.”

Groglio said Rye residents have generously responded to requests by firefighters for support of the hospital. 

"On behalf of all of the Rye Professional Firefighters, I would like to thank those from Rye and beyond that participate in our supportive efforts for the children who need it most,” Groglio said.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla is the children’s hospital for New York’s Hudson Valley region and Fairfield County, Connecticut. As home to the area’s only pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric transplant program, burn center, cardiac catheterization program and its regional neonatal intensive care unit, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital cares for the area’s most seriously ill and injured kids

A regional and national leader in children’s healthcare, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center was designed from the point of view of patients and families as well as doctors and nurses.  In addition the hospital operates under the family-centered care philosophy, which encourages moms, dads, brothers and sisters to be involved in the care process.  These factors result in a special healing environment that puts children and parents at ease so the whole family feels better.