Drew McCaffery Memorial 7K Honors Beloved Firefighter

NORTH FORK, NY —The North Fork community is expected to turn out in force Saturday to remember a beloved former fire chief lost too soon —and to keep his legacy of helping others alive forever.

Drew McCaffery, a 24-year member and ex-Chief of the Cutchogue Fire Dept., died in 2017 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. He was 41 years old.

The Drew McCaffery Memorial 7K Race/Walk kicks off Saturday at 8:30 a.m.; the course begins on corner of County Route 48 and Bridge Lane in Cutchogue, passing McCaffery’s house, historic farms, and the church where he was married, and ending at the Cutchogue Firehouse.

Registration begins at 7 a.m.; the cost is $30, with a race day entry of $35. To register online, click here.

Race entry includes refreshments, a post-race raffle, and three water stops on course. Make checks payable to: Drew McCaffery Memorial 7K, with mailing address: Michael McCaffery, c/o Panthers 437 Group, P.O. Box 124, Cutchogue, NY 11935.

The race has great meaning, said Lynn McCaffery Stevens, Drew's sister. "Ever since Drew was a boy all he dreamed about was helping others — particularly through the fire department. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father into the local volunteer department and served in many roles. His career took him to Fire Rescue and Emergency Services, or FRES, in Yaphank where he continued what he loved to do most — help others."

And now, the race proceeds will be used to give back, to give back in his memory the way her brother did in life, she said.

"When Drew was first diagnosed with cancer, it was organizations like the Firefighter Cancer Support Network that stepped up to help him. It was a position my brother did not relish, as he preferred to be the one who was helping," she said.

Michael McCaffery, their brother, is organizing the race, she said.

"This run not only is in memory of my brother, but it gives him an opportunity beyond his death to continue what he loved to do most — help others. The proceeds of the run go to organizations that were instrumental in the last days of Drew. Memorial Sloan Kettering who cared for him, the Firefighters Cancer Support Network, who comforted and counseled him and his family, and the Kanas Center at East End Hospice, which allowed him to die with dignity. To me, this memorial run is much more than remembering my brother— it is a way to keep his spirit of helping alive and well within our community," she said.

Photo courtesy of Cutchogue Fire Department.