Changed by 9/11: Remembering Terry Farrell

Terry Farrell was a Dix Hills Fire Chief, former chief of the Hicksville Fire Department and member of the NYFD who perished in the line of duty in the World Trade Center attacks.

When asked what kind of person his brother Terry was, Tim, who runs the family bar in Wantagh is quiet. He then points to a news article hanging on the wall of the bar. The story in the paper is about Terry Farrell, the local fireman who donated his bone marrow to a Nevada girl he had never met to save her life.

"That's my brother," he said. "He would do anything for anyone. That was Terry.”

To honor his memory, the five remaining Farrell brothers came up with the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing firefighters and their families with financial assistance for their educational, medical and equipment needs.

 “We became more familiar with firefighters in the city of New York, their pay scales, their benefits…and what their needs were. And as we got a little away from the grief we tried to make something positive out of it. So we created this minor scholarship fund and that’s what it was. It was a $500 a year scholarship, which we were going to give to the firefighters of Long Island and New York City,” Brian Farrell, Terry's brother said on the fund's website.

The brothers and the group began selling T-shirts and other items and word quickly spread about their mission. Enough donations were collected that they were able to expand the fund beyond the scholarship and enabled them to purchase used fire trucks, hoses and equipment for replacements at fire departments in need.

As the organization grew, Larry Romo, vice president of the Jim Beam Distilling Company, who is close friends with Brian and Tim Farrell, decided to get involved.

Romo recognized the importance of the fund and convinced the company to donate $1 of every bourbon whiskey case sold on Long Island to the cause. He then went a step further and asked for a special label to be made for the fund. Jim Bean had not changed its label is 150 years, but in 2005, the company created four new ones in honor of Terry. One of the bottles labeled with the scholarship fund was so popular that it sold out within six weeks in the New York City area and Jim Beam soon raised its donation to $2 a case.

The fund now has nine chapters across the country and has raised $625,000 since its inception.

While Terry’s giving spirit has lived on through the fund, those that knew him best must still deal with the loss of a loved one. Terry was a husband, father of two children and a good friend to those who worked with him in the fire department. Every year since 9/11, the to pay their respects.

The department is also taking part in the 3rd Annual Bike Run, sponsored by the fund which travels from Hagerman Fire Department to Ground Zero. Thousands of bikers are expected to participate this year.

Terry’s spirit also lives on within town at the, once known as Wolf Hill Park, which was dedicated to the 28-year veteran firefighter in June 2002.

To learn more about the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund or donate to the cause, visit http://terryfund.org/steeltrip/about.