Specially Trained Paramedics Helped Save The Lives Of Two Men After Manhattan’s Crane Collapse Disaster

NEW YORK, March 26, 2008 – The New York Knickerbockers have announced FDNY Rescue Paramedics Marco Girao and Juan Henriquez as the winners of the Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of March. The award, named in honor of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, who was the first African-American to play for the Knicks, recognizes those who have made a significant difference in the lives of others. Each month, a winner is chosen by members of the Knicks front office staff and honored at center court of a Knicks game. The winner will receive a $2,000 donation in their name to a charity of their choice from the New York Knicks.

Girao, of Tarrytown, and Henriquez, of Brooklyn, helped save the lives of two trapped men in Manhattan’s crane collapse disaster on Saturday, March 15. One of the men was buried under 30 feet of rubble, forcing rescue crews to dig by hand so they would not cause another collapse. Girao and Henriquez treated the man to prevent crush syndrome, which occurs when a crush victim starts losing circulation to parts of the body turning the blood acidic.

At tonight’s game versus the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden, Girao and Henriquez will accept the City Spirit Award. They will donate their award money to the Carlos Lillo Memorial Scholarship Fund, a scholarship fund to benefit underprivileged students. Lillo was an FDNY paramedic who lost his life at the World Trade Center collapse during the attacks on September 11, 2001.

To nominate your hero, or to read more about this month’s winners and other past winners, please visit nyknicks.com.

The NBA’s New York Knickerbockers basketball team, in its 62nd year of operation, is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P. Cablevision Systems Corporation owns Madison Square Garden, L.P., which includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre, as well as the legendary Chicago Theatre, and which manages wholly-owned live entertainment properties including the Radio City Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and MSG Plus; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.