Half Hollow Hills Receives Generous Gift From 9/11 Charity To Benefit Local Families In Need

$6K Holiday Donation Received From Tom Collins & Chris Panatier 9/11 Memorial Foundation

The Half Hollow Hills Central School District has received a generous $6,000 donation from the Tom Collins / Chris Panatier 9/11 Memorial Foundation to be used for the Half Hollow Hills – Helping Our Own program. This is the 15th year the foundation has made a donation to the district, bringing their total support to an astounding $106,000.

Tom Collins and Chris Panatier, who the TCCP Memorial Foundation is named for, were both graduates of the Half Hollow Hills High School East class of 1983 who lost their lives in the World Trade Center attack in 2001. The foundation was founded in 2003 by friends of Tom and Chris as a means to give back to the community where they all first became friends.

“We are trying to keep the legacy alive of these two great men by giving back to community that meant so much to them,” said Matt Lulley, board member of the TCCP Memorial Foundation and a district resident. “It is our way of taking one of the most painful moments in our nation’s history and trying to have a little good come out of it by donating money, time and effort to people in need of help in our community.”

The funds received by Helping Our Own, a partnership between the district and the REACH-Community Youth Agency (CYA), are used to support district residents and employees with financial, psychological or educational assistance in times of crisis. Social workers from the district are able to use this donation to provide immediate relief to families who are struggling.

“Our district is so thankful for this generous donation from the TCCP Memorial Foundation, which is used during the holiday season to benefit students and families in our school community who are in need,” said Dr. Patrick Harrigan, superintendent of schools in Half Hollow Hills. “Their crucial funding truly brings smiles to the faces of those who are less fortunate, and honors Tom and Chris’s memory in a very special way.”

To learn more about the Tom Collins / Chris Panatier 9/11 Memorial Foundation or to make a donation, please visit http://www.tccpmemorialfoundation.org/donate.