CANAAN – Neighbors rallied in support a local family after a tragic fire last month.
Adam Crawley, 30, died as a result of a house fire on Lovers Lane in New Lebanon the day before Thanksgiving. Left behind were Tara Darcy and the couple’s three young children. The house was completely ruined and the family lost everything.
Sondra Hilts, Lenny Brown and Joe Massaro, owner of the Backwater Grille, decided to take action and in just under a week, with the help of a
handful of friends, organized the first annual Darcy-Crawley Benefit Run.
“It started with a text message between Joe and me,” said Ms. Hilts. “Then we immediately thought of Lenny and contacted him right away.”
Phone calls for silent auction donations and sponsors came pouring in. Contacts were made for the production of t-shirts, food, music and
volunteers to man the registration tables.
Mr. Massaro said that at the start of the event over 200 people had signed up to take part in the Darcy-Crawley Benefit Run. “Lorraine Czerno also got 35 sponsors to each pay $100 to cover the cost of the t-shirts,” Ms. Hilts said. Contact with Vicky Layden from radio station Live 95.9 helped spread the word as well.
Donations from local businesses included gift certificates, gift baskets, coffee donations, holiday items. “We’ve had people calling to offer donations and one even made a quilt for each of the family members,” she said. “This community has just surged toward this event. It’s been phenomenal.”
Aaron Stall, 17, from Canaan is a Champion Runner who competed in the Junior Olympic Nationals in 2010 and 2011. Aaron joined the runners, and
donated his 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals to the runners competing in the children’s run.
Canaan and Lebanon fire departments helped out with directing traffic and parking duty and the State Police assisted with traffic control.
The Darcy-Crawley Benefit was one of several events organized to help. Lebanon Valley Protective Association held a pancake breakfast as well.
“The turnout was fantastic,” said Mr. Massaro, “following the event, we were able to give the family $7,000.”
Although there is a college fund set up, he said, the families’ needs are so immediate that the funds were turned over right away. Donations are still
welcome – contact Joe Massaro at the Backwater Bar and Grille (518) 781-0199 or email to .
Catherine Sager is a freelance writer and photographer living in Schodack. To contact Catherine email or visit her
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