Jim Beam Terry Farrell Firehouse Cook Off

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Recently, over 100,000 New Yorkers filled Madison Square Park for the 7th Annual Snapple Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, where pit masters grilled their best barbecue recipes.  As part of this event, five fire departments from New York City and Long Island gathered to participate in the inaugural Jim Beam Terry Farrell Firehouse Cook Off, a competition created to raise awareness of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, a charity founded in the name of fallen FDNY Firefighter Terry Farrell to help underfunded fire departments and families of fallen firefighters across the United States.

The History and Mission of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund

The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund was started in 2002 by the family of Terry Farrell who was both a member of FDNY Rescue 4 and the Fire Chief of the Dix Hills Volunteer Fire Department and perished at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  Through public and corporate donations, the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund has been able to provide families of fallen firefighters across America with educational scholarships and money for medical needs.  The organization also uses the money they raise to provide underfunded fire departments with the fire apparatus and equipment that they need.  Every dollar raised goes directly to a needy fire department or fire service family.

Jim Beam and the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund

In 2005, Jim Beam partnered with the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund to raise money and awareness for the organization through the release of Limited Edition Terry Farrell bottles of Jim Beam Bourbon, and through 2008 they had donated approximately $250,000 to the Terry Fund.  In 2009, they have donated another $100,000 through the sale of the specially labeled bottles.

Jim Beam Terry Farrell Firehouse Cook Off

The Jim Beam Terry Farrell Firehouse Cook Off was held during the 2009 Snapple Big Apple Barbecue Block Party to increase public awareness of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, raise money for the charity, and showcase the 2009 Jim Beam Terry Farrell Special Edition bottles.  Brian Farrell, the brother of Terry Farrell and the Chairman of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, spearheaded the event and went to several firehouses throughout New York City and Long Island to recruit fire department teams to participate.  The requirements were that each team had to have their own original recipe for barbecued ribs and had to use a Jim Beam product in their sauce.  In the end, five fire stations participated in the event including the Wantagh Fire Department, Floral Park Fire Department, Hicksville Fire Department, FDNY Rescue 4, and FDNY Ladder Company 54.  One of the competition's guest judges was Fred Noe, the great-grandson of Jim Beam.

The winners of the cook-off were the firefighters from the Hicksville Fire Department, who won VIP tickets to a luxury box at the new Yankees Stadium.  And although it was a competition, the firefighters who participated did it to help those in need in the fire service, as Matthew Bland from FDNY Ladder Company 54 explains, "The Terry Farrell Organization is an incredible organization.  He was one of the 343 guys we lost on 911, and it's an incredible charity set up to raise money for firefighters.  You know it's kind of for us and by us.  It's one of things where we come out here today, raise a little bit of money, and we say 'We never forget' for all of those guys from 911.  This is the way we don't forget.  We come out here, we honor his memory, we have a good time, we raise some money for the charity, and it's a great day."

Limited Edition Terry Farrell Jim Beam Bottles

As for the limited edition, specially labeled bottles of Jim Beam Bourbon, it has been an overwhelming hit with the public and first responders.  Brian Farrell says, "Sales are going great.  We're getting e-mails from across the country where they can't get the bottles yet asking us how they can get the bottle.  We are in 25 states.  The bottle is flying off the shelf where is is on the shelf."

The Limited Edition Terry Farrell bottles of Jim Beam were introduced on Memorial Day weekend and were distributed through the 4th of July in select states.  They will continue to be sold until they are gone.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these bottles goes directly to the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund.

How to Donate:

To find out how to make a donation to the Terry Fund, visit www.terryfarrellfund.org.

Related Videos:

History of the Partnership Between the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund and Jim Beam

Unveiling of the 2009 Limited Edition Terry Farrell Jim Beam Bourbon Label