Burncare Foundation Honors 'Champions'

Firefighters are privvy to the worst scenes imaginable and there they often witness, if not embody, the greatest courage and strength.

The connection between firefighters and burn victims is obvious. Here in Westchester, Tarrytown's Walter Ferguson said a foundation formed by firefighters was instrumental in getting the Burn Care center developed out of Westchester Medical Center in the 1970s.

In the '90s, longtime firefighter Ferguson thought he’d “pick it up again and move it along,” and get a new foundation going. Through the years, he estimates his Burncare...Everywhere Foundation has raised, and given away, close to $250,000.

The nonprofit's biggest annual fundraiser is its September golf outing. Moneys raised then, and through the raffle tickets sold leading up it to, go directly to various camps for children burn victims, the Elizabeth Mascia Child Care Center fire prevention program, the J.I.M.M.Y Foundation and others.

Each year, they also thank their biggest supporters with a free night of cocktails and dinner. The “Night of Champions” was held Wednesday at Sunset Cove, by invite-only, and honors one local couple and local business: Wayne and Nicole Jeffers of White Plains and Frank’s Food Court in Elmsford.

A few years back, Ferguson said he and his wife were being honored by the Mascia Center and he got to get up and talk about his work as a firefighter and with the Burncare foundation. This struck a cord for a couple in the audience who were about to get married. The Jeffers were moved enough to donate a generous portion of their wedding money to the cause. Frank’s Food Court, said Ferguson, has been generous to the foundation and its events for years.

The Night of Champions, said Ferguson, is a time to “bring in some of benefactors who helped us during the year, and let everyone see where their donations go.” Talking briefly were a few representatives from the summer and winter camps for injured kids. “We like to let everybody see where their donations go, so we can hold them closer to us. We know it’s hard to donate during these tough economic times and it's our way of giving back.”

“It’s a nice affair," Ferguson said. "We give away some unrestricted grants – about $10,000 this night – and kick off our season.”

It’s a “low-key” group, describes Tarrytown police chief Scott Brown, but certainly one that makes a real difference in people’s lives.

Ferguson said, in addition to providing these grants, the foundation works closely with doctors, nurses and social workers at the Burn Center, some of whom filled a special table at the restaurant on Wednesday. Doing something simple like getting the parents of an injured child out of the hospital for a few hours to clear their heads and refresh – with the gift of a few movie tickets – can do wonders.

“For most people, insurance covers it, but the small stuff falls through the cracks,” Ferguson said. In one case, he remembers helping a young mother whose 18-month-year daughter needed to be treated for scalding get a bus ticket back to Albany to see her own mother. In other cases, the foundation will help pick up the tab for the high cost of Westchester hotels visiting families have to stay in to be nearby their hospitalized children.

Of all the heartwarming, and heartwrenching, stories he has accrued through the years, Ferguson always finds himself especially impressed by the strength of the youngest of burn victims. Children are the common thread through their fundraising and events and an inspiration for all. “I’m always struck by the amazing resilience children have," he said. "It’s just a fact of life for them.”

For more information, to donate, to sign up for the fall Golf Outing in North Salem, NY or buy raffle tickets ($50 for a chance to see a Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, or Army game) visit: burncarefoundation.org. "The donations we receive today will go a long way in helping the burn survivors of tomorrow."

The Burn Center at Westchester Medical Center is the only Burn Center between New York City and the Canadian border in Eastern New York, offering hope for survival and a productive life to hundreds of burn victims each year.

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