Number of New York veterans recovering in Texas that will receive a free shipment of New York’s best food, courtesy of NYC elected officials and business leaders: 7.
Number of elected officials on hand for the announcement: 8.
The statement after the jump.
— Azi Paybarah
SPEAKER QUINN BRINGS A TASTE OF NYC
TO WOUNDED NEW YORK VETERANS
City Hall * With the help of Tim Zagat, Kathy Wylde, President and CEO of Partnership for New York City, Bill White, President of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, and the five Borough Presidents, Speaker Quinn and the City Council will be delivering baskets of signature New York delicacies to wounded New York veterans who are currently rehabilitating at the Intrepid Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The veterans, who initially met Speaker Quinn at the dedication ceremony for the Intrepid Center, had expressed that one of the things they missed most about home was New York City food. The Speaker’s office will be working with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to deliver the food, which is being donated by restaurant owners, fine food stores, delis and bakeries from throughout the five boroughs.
Speaker Quinn said: “The Intrepid Center is providing these brave New Yorkers with the best possible care; however, the one thing the center can’t provide is the feeling of home. New York City is famous the world over for the diversity of its delicious cuisine, and with the help of the Borough Presidents, we have been able to pull together signature dishes from every one of the five boroughs. Through this joint effort, we can remind our soldiers that all of New York City is thinking about them and supporting them during their rehabilitation.”
The Intrepid Center, which opened in January, is a state-of-the-art rehabilitation and advance training skills facility at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. The new 60,000 square foot Center provides veterans with severe extremity injuries and amputees the best opportunity to regain their ability to live and work productively.
Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund President Bill White said: “The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is honored to do its part of behalf of our service members and their families. We are grateful to Speaker Quinn and other New York City elected officials for organizing Bringing a Taste of Home to these wounded warriors and their families. The Speaker personally brought New York to them when she met with them in San Antonio at the opening of the Center for the Intrepid. Now she is making good on her word to send them some of the best of New York…and then some.”
Among the restaurants that will be supplying food for the baskets are Sahadi’s in Brooklyn, Zabars in Manhattan, Mama’s of Corona in Queens, Dominick’s Bakery Cafe in Staten Island, Murray Cheeses in Manhattan, and Joe’s Place in the Bronx.
“New York City is home to the world’s greatest restaurants and markets, so it’s no surprise that when our soldiers think of home, they think of food,” said Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “This is something small New Yorkers can do to show our support and appreciation for them.”
Tim Zagat said: “This is the least we can do for our fellow New Yorkers who have given so much for our country.”
“For Brooklynites and New Yorkers, feeling at home means enjoying our local delicacies, from bagels to cheesecake to a slice of the world’s best pizza – and no one deserves the comforts of home more than these brave New Yorkers, who have given so much in their service to America,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
“No matter what anyone thinks of the war, all of us want the very best for every soldier who serves on our behalf,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “Until these brave men and women have recovered enough to come home, this is one small way of letting them know that we appreciate their sacrifices, and that the thoughts and prayers of their fellow New Yorkers are with them every day.”
“I am pleased to be able to provide our servicemen and servicewomen with some of the comforts of home as they recover from injuries sustained while defending our Country and our freedom,” said Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro.
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said, “On behalf of the people of Queens, I wholeheartedly support this undertaking for our veterans and thank Speaker Quinn and the participating restaurants for letting these soldiers know that their hometowns have not forgotten them, nor do we take lightly the injuries that they have suffered to help others. We know that they love New York and we love them. And, a special hello to Sergeant Rafael Lopez from Jamaica, Queens.”
“These brave men and women are fighting to preserve our freedom and our rights, so if we can brighten a soldier’s day by sending them a small reminder of home, we should, said Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion. “As public servants and as a community we also must ensure that our veterans receive all the services that are available. We must not sit back and allow them to be forgotten.”
There are approximately 300,000 veterans currently living in New York City. Dozens of New Yorkers have been killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several hundred New Yorkers have been wounded or have suffered catastrophic injuries while serving their country.