A Thanksgiving Tradition Continues
(November 27, 2019) - Back in 1996, the first annual Hamden Professional Firefighters Local 2687 Thanksgiving turkey drive was organized by Firefighters Richie Maybury and John Longo (see Register article below). Later, after 20-plus years of organizing the event, Lt. Jeff Pechmann (Ret.) last year passed the torch to Ff. Tom Paranzino, who did an outstanding job organzing this year's deliveries of turkeys and gift cards to the Hamden Senior Center and the M.L. Keefe Community Center
Several retirees joined our active brothers at Station 5 yesterday morning to help label and deliver turkeys for this year's drive.
The members of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association wish our active Hamden firefighters and all of our website visitors a very Happy Thanksgiving.
All photos may be enlarged by clicking on the image.
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| Squad 1 at the Hamden Senior Center, awaiting the convoy of active and retired firefighters who will deliver turkeys and gift cards to the center. |
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| Ff. Brian Gagnon and retired Supt Buechele. Donny was among the retirees who pitched in. |
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| So was Billy Fitzmaurice, retired B/C, who helped tag and deliver the birds. |
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| Lt. Dan Such and the boys on the Squad also helped with the delivery to the Hamden Senior Center. |
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| Hydrant Maintainer Ryan Recca and Ff. Jason Davis with hands full. |
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| Veteran Ff. Paul Turner helping out. Paul is now officially an "old-timer." |
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| Local 2687 V.P. Ff. Dave Beaton and his son Mike wheel a cart full of frozen turkeys into the Hamden Senior Center. |
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| Ffs. Chris Parmalee and Steve Sorrentino |
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| At the Hamden Senior Center - L-R - Ff. Dave Beaton and his son Mike, Ff. Tom Paranzino, Ff. Brian Gagnon, Ret. Supt. Don Buechele, Hydrant Maintainer Ryan Recca, Ret. B/C Bill Fitzmaurice, Ff. Jason Davis, Lt. Dan Such, Ff. Kevin Martin, Ff. Chris Parmalee, and Ff. Steve Sorrentino |
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Next, it's on to the Keefe Community Center . . .
The Keefe Community Center Building started out as the Pine Street School in 1921. In 1939 it was renamed for Margaret L. Keefe, Hamden's Superintendent of Schools from 1912 to 1954. The school closed at the end of the 1973-74 school year and has been a community center for the past four decades.
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| Lt. Craig Smart and his Engine 2 crew at the M.L. Keefe Community Center. The soon-to-be Thanksgiving meals are on the way. |
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| Ff. Dave DeMarest, Ff. Paranzino, and Lt. Pete Lynch start unloading at the Keefe Center parking lot. |
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| "Billy-Bob" and "Dixon" |
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| At the M.L. Keefe Center - Standing L to R - Lt. Craig Smart, Ff. Brian Leddy, Ret. Capt. Dave Johnson, Ff. Tom Paranzino, Ret. B/C Bill Fitzmaurice, Ff. Dave DeMarest (behind Turner), Ff. Paul Turner, Lt. Pete Lynch, Ret. Supt. Don Buechele, Hydrant Maintainer Ryan Recca, Mike Beaton, B/C Rich Otlowski. Kneeling Ff. Brian Gagnon and Dave Beaton. |
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| New Haven Register, November 27, 1996 (Courtesy of Gil Spencer) |
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