4th annual Andy Chan holiday block party fundraiser benefits law enforcement families struck by tragedy
OLD CITY - A fundraiser Friday night for the families of two of Philadelphia’s finest, a highway patrolman seriously injured in a crash and a Temple police sergeant killed on the job.
2nd Street between Market and Chestnut in Old City is a festive place during the holiday season, but Friday's crowd is about more than a party.
"This is a great emotional lift for everybody in law enforcement," said Mark O’Connor. It is the fourth year of the Andy Chan Holiday Block Party, which raises money for families of law enforcement struck by tragedy.
"This is the City of Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs coming out to say to these police officers ‘We support you,’" said O’Connor who is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Families Behind the Badge Children's Foundation.
"We look for a $20 donation as you enter the party from Chestnut or Market Street. There are raffles, live auctions and there are silent auctions. I went in and out of the bars and it is a lot of fun," he said.
The event is named for Philadelphia Highway Patrol Officer Andy Chan who suffered a brain injury when he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle to work in January of 2019. The block party benefits his wife and their two young children.
"He needs 24-hour care. He has two kids and his wife has to get them through school," said O’Connor. A portion of the proceeds go to other families as well.
3rd annual Andy Chan Block Party fundraiser also to help families of Pa. State Troopers Mack and Sisca
The third annual Andy Chan Holiday Block Party was held Friday night, benefiting the highway patrol officer who was critically injured in a crash in 2019. The event also benefits the families of two Pennsylvania state troopers killed in a crash on I-95.
"The blue family, you’re always together," said Stephanie Mack. She lost her husband, Pennsylvania State Trooper Martin Mack, in 2019 along with Trooper Branden Sisca. Both were killed on Interstate 95.
Both families and their children were beneficiaries last year.
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"When you get the knock on your door, you're immediately thinking oh my God what's going to happen? I got a mortgage, I have all these bills and I am going from a two-income house to one income," said Mack.
This year, the family of Temple University Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald will receive some of the money raised. He was killed in the line of duty February of this year.
"It's so important that we continue to support them financially, which is what this event is about," said O’Connor.
More information about the organization, including where to donate, can be found on their website, here.