Community Corner

Mt. Kisco Firefighters Recieve $25k Check from Churchill for 9/11 Memorial

A total of $40,000 has been raised to date, with $120,000 being the goal, according to memorial committee co-chair.

The Mount Kisco Fire Department got a major boost for its 9/11 memorial fundraising efforts when it received a $25,000 donation on Monday from Daniele Churchill.

Churchill, who owns Churchills of Mount Kisco, presented the donation at this week's Village Board of Trustees meeting.

“I am here to give you a check for $25,000 to help start the fundraising, and I hope other people will get involved and kick in,” she said.

Find out what's happening in Chappaqua-Mount Kiscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Daniele Churchill, like I’ve said before, has given back to this community in many, many ways,” said Mayor Michael Cindrich, who recounted that when Churchill first heard of the firefighters’ efforts, she wanted to find out how she could help.

Rich Alexander, a firefighter who is co-chair of the fire department’s memorial committee, praised Churchill for the donation. Hearkening back to post-9/11 volunteerism, Alexander said “it brings back the memories of the good parts of what took place around that time.”

Find out what's happening in Chappaqua-Mount Kiscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Churchill’s donation puts the fire department's total amount raised at $40,000, according to fellow firefighter Paul Felice, who is the other memorial committee co-chair. Their goal is to raise $120,000, which they are currently on track to meet, he explained. The fire department will have more fundraising events coming up, including a car raffle and events backed by the Lions Club and Teddy’s at the Holiday Inn. There is also a boot drive planned for the spring, according to Felice, which will involve standing out at a road with a boot and attracting passersby with donation requests.

The memorial, which had a , is located at a site near a Christopher Columbus statue and the Mount Kisco Public Library. It will be a Pentagon-shaped base that will act as a reflecting pool, with dark-granite pillars making up the twin towers of the World Trade Center. It is hoped that the memorial will be dedicated on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

There will also be an initiative under way to bring 50 U.S. flags along for a trip, in Mount Kisco fire apparatus, to all three sites of the attacks, according to Felice. Those flags will then be flown annually on Sept. 11 of subsequent years.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here