$100K+ Fundraiser for Local 2029 Fire Department Union Charity Efforts
The annual fundraiser for Rye FD’s Local 2029 professional firefighters union on March 8, 2025 raised over $100,000. This is the first year the group is operating as a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit, 2029 Fundraising. The funds raised will be used to provide financial assistance on an as-needed basis to community initiatives as well as to support families of firefighters facing urgent hardship.
According to the group, recent grants awarded include a $10,000 donation to Midland Elementary School for the Thrive Outside campaign—an effort to create a new outdoor learning space and rebuild the schools playgrounds—and $10,000 financial aid for the family of a Binghamton firefighter who tragically lost his life in the line of duty in February. An additional $10,000 was given to a Scarsdale firefighter who suffered a devastating loss.
It was the first annual Rye Professional Firefighters St. Patrick’s Day Ball, with the group switching to the new theme from its Cinco De Mayo fundraisers in previous years. There was Irish-themed entertainment, including a guided Irish whiskey tasting by Harrison Wine Vault, a Guinness Bar and ‘Split the G’ competition (where drinkers aim to settle their Guinness foam perfectly in the center of the glass’s “G” logo) with spot prizes from Hanna Hats and Sliabh Liag Whiskey, a traditional Irish Uilleann piper performance and a performance by Doherty Petri Irish Dance. A live auction raised additional funds.
The event was held at the Harrison Meadows Country Club and attracted over 150 attendees, including Congressman George Latimer and New York State Senator Shelley Mayer.
“I’m very happy with the results of our St. Patrick’s Day Ball and how support for our charity continues to increase,” said Sal Inguanti, Rye firefighter and president of 2029 Fundraising. “The funds we raise go to so many varied and important causes both in our local Rye community and the broader New York firefighters community. We are excited to be able to grow our impact this year having raised 66% more in net proceeds than at last year’s Cinco De Mayo fundraiser. We definitely had the luck of the Irish on our side.”
