A fundraiser for the two City of Albany employees injured in a gas station explosion brought in $30,000 this weekend.
The fundraiser was organized by the nonprofit organization Albany Firefighters Cancer and Disability Foundation. It's meant to benefit the families of Fire Department Battalion Chief Wayne Brennan and Department of General Services Supervisor Anthony Hughes, who suffered severe burns after a temporary gas pump exploded on city property in early August.
The money raised will be used to financially support Hughes and Brennan's families, especially given the costs family members have incurred to visit the two men at hospitals in Syracuse and Westchester County.
"Hotels can be expensive. Gas prices are expensive, traveling back and forth,"
AFCDF Director of Operations Cory VanLeuven said. "So we're just trying to take some of that burden off of their family members that are out there by their side."
The fundraiser started as a small event at Fidens Brewing Company and quickly grew into a festival that took over a block of Broadway for an afternoon of food and drinks, live music, raffles, and yard games.
"They were kind of blown away by the community support and everything that everyone's trying to do for their family," VanLeuven said. "Their family was really, really happy to see the community come together."
