ROTARY FIRE FIGHTERS GALA

Posted

on Feb 13, 2016

WOW-WHAT AN EVENING. THE ROTARY FIRE FIGHTERS HOME'S FIRST ANNUAL GALA WAS HELD FRIDAY EVENING AT THE ROYAL SONESTA HOTEL. UPON DRIVING UP TO THE HOTEL THERE WERE TWO LARGE HFD LADDER TRUCKS WITH LADDERS EXTENDED 30 FEET FORMING A V WITH THE US FLAG HANDING FROM THE TOP. UPON ENTERING THE BALLROOM AREA THE HOME'S LOGO WAS PROJECTED ON A HIGH WALL AND EVERYONE GOT THEIR PICTURE TAKEN IN FRONT OF A LARGE PANEL WITH THE SPONSORS LOGOS ON IT. GUEST WERE ESCORTED TO THEIR TABLES BY THE NEW FIRE CADET CLASS. THE PROGRAM WAS GREAT WITH ERNIE MANOUSE FROM PUBLIC BROADCASTING AS OUR EMCEE. THERE WERE PROCLAMATIONS PRESENTED FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE US CONGRESS. OUR DISTRICT GOVERNOR DR. NICK GIANNONE WELCOMED THE GROUP. OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS HELEN REISLER WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEW YORK AT 911. SHE TOLD HOW HER CLUB RESPONDED TO THE LARGE NEED AT THAT TIME. RETIRED FIRE CAPTAIN, JOE TORRILLO, OF FDNY WHO WAS BURIED TWICE WHEN THE TOWERS FELL AND WAS RESCUED TWICE TOLD HIS STORY. THE HOUSTON FIRE FIGHTER HERO OF THE YEAR AWARD WAS PRESENTED. OUR MEMBER HOMERO PONCE LOPEZ TOLD THE STORY OF HOW THIS WORTHY PROJECT CAME INTO BEING. THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT AND EVERYONE ENJOYED THE GALA. THERE WAS DANCING AFTER THE PROGRAM CLOSE. OUR CLUB OWS A SPECIAL THANKS TO SONYA HEATH, THE GALA CHAIR AND ALL OF HER TIRELESS GALA COMMITTEE WITH A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO IRENE HICKEY WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT FOR MOST OF THE PRINTED MATERIAL AND TO GV KRISHNAN FOR GETTING EVERYTHING PRINTED. DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS, PHIL CEZEAUX, JIM CRAIG, HANK EMERY, JERRY HARRIS, ALICE HASTINGS-JAMES, KATHY KENNEDY, JULIA MALDONADO,CINDY MURPHY, JOE RIDLEY, LINDSEY KROLL, VANESSA GRIFFIN, DAVID ELLIOT-HFD, AND TOM MUNOZ-HFD HAD JOBS ASSIGNED TO THEM AND THEY ALL CAME THROUGH. ( IF i LEFT SOMEONE OUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW ) THIS EVENT WAS TRULY AN EXAMPLE OF "SERVICE ABOVE SELF".