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TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- It's been nearly a year since Tarrytown firefighter John Kelly and village worker Anthony Ruggiero died in a manhole behind Consolidated Engine Company in town.Chuck Pateman says he still thinks about them all the time.
"It's heartbreaking to lose them," he said. "I can't take their numbers out of my phone."
To honor Kelly and Ruggiero's memory, members of Consolidated Engine are putting together a car show to raise money for one, possibly two, scholarships in their names. All of the proceeds from the car show will be given to a Sleepy Hollow High School senior who has a good GPA and lots of community service.
Pateman said Kelly and Ruggiero devoted their personal and professional lives to community service.
"They were two of the most giving people that you'd know," he said. "One of those guys, you call them round the clock, seven days a week, it didn't matter what time it was or the situation was, they were going to be there."Pateman described them as "tremendous assets" to the community.
"We'd like to see these guys' names live on like that," he said.
The car show will take place on Saturday, September 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Green Street parking lot in Tarrytown.
Right now, organizers have 32 trophies lined up. Each trophy is sponsored with donations from various people and businesses in Westchester County.
With a month left before the show, Pateman is confident they'll be adding more trophies before the actual event. He met with Howard Smith, the superintendent of the Unified Free School District of the Tarrytowns to go over the scholarship and says everything has been set up.
The final amount or number of the scholarships that will be given has yet to be determined, Pateman says, since much depends on the event day's weather.
In addition to cars, the car show will feature food, jewelry and a bounce house. There will also be a photographer on site taking pictures of the cars.
"We're looking to really get it out and have a good time," Pateman said.
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