Thursday night, firefighters from Middletown’s Local 1073 division on Main Street traded in their uniforms for trays and aprons to participate in the annual Tip-A-Fireman fundraiser at Tuscany Grill restaurant.
Firefighters volunteered to wait on tables for the day. They donated their tips to MARC Community Services, an organization that sponsors free recreational day programs for men, women, and children with cognitive disabilities.
MARC is the Middlesex county chapter of The Arc of the United States, a national organization established in 1950 that offers services and support to the 7.2 million people living in the country with cognitive and developmental disabilities. MARC services approximately 150 community members.
According to Assistant Fire Marshall Al Santostefano, 16 firefighters volunteered after being approached by MARC with the idea of Tip-A-Fireman.
“Then the Chief came to us with [the idea], and the guys thought it was a great project,“ Santostefano said.
Half of them served patrons for the lunch rush at Tuscany Grill, and the other volunteered for dinner.
”The next step after approaching the Fire Department was to find a restaurant that would host the event,“ said MARC Development Director Jane Carroll. ”We came up with Tuscany Grill. It’s a great venue because it is a family restaurant.“
Many loyal residents came out to dine at Tuscany Grill and support Tip-A-Fireman on Thursday.
”It was a great turn out,“ Santostefano said, who also helped coordinate the event. ”There was a lot of good food and merriment.“
Acccording to Santostefano, Tip-A-Fireman has been a successful fundraising program in the past. Tuscany Grill has been the host of the event since the fundraiser’s inception.
”It’s just a lot of fun,“ Santostefano said. ”We all look forward to the event each year. [The fundrasier] has become our pet project. Many of the firefighters have done it every year, and this year some new faces.“”
Carroll also commented on the success of the fundraiser, saying that Tip-A-Firefighter usually raises a couple thousand dollars for MARC.
“Of all the fundraisers we do, this is undoubtedly the most fun for us,” Carroll said. “And the firefighters have fun working with the waitresses too.”
The proceeds for Tip-A-Fireman will go specifically to MARC’s Saturday for Kids program. Twice a month the Saturday program organizes recreational activities for kids affiliated with the organization. Most recently the Sunshine Road band performed for the kids at Mercy High School.
The firefighters’ commitment to MARC extends beyond Tip-A-Fireman, however. They also volunteer directly with the Saturday for Kids program.
“They come on Saturday morning and engage with the kids and teach the kids about fire safety,” Carroll said. “They also bring their fire truck for the kids and let the kids ring the bell. [The firefighters] are really an integral part of the Saturday program.”
MARC is currently looking for more volunteers to help with its Saturday program. Those who are interested in volunteering should call (860) 342-0700 for more information.
Leave a Reply