NYPD Scuba Officers Win “City Spirit” Award For Rescue Of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 Passengers

 The New York Knickerbockers have announced Westchester resident Michael Delaney and Manhattan resident Robert Rodriguez as the winners of the Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of April. The award, named in honor of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African-American to play for the Knicks, recognizes individuals 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 during a Knicks game with a $2,000 donation in his or her name made out to a charity each selects. 

 

Last month, Delaney and Rodriguez were presented with the New York City Police Foundation’s Chuck Barris “Cop of the Year” award for their heroic actions in rescuing passengers from the U.S. Airways flight 1549 which made a January emergency landing in the Hudson River. Rodriguez, an eight-year veteran, and Delaney, a nine-year veteran, were helicoptered from Brooklyn’s Harbor Unit and subsequently jumped into the 39-degree water to save two women.

 

At tonight’s game versus the Detroit Pistons, Mike Delaney and Rob Rodriguez will accept the City Spirit Award at Madison Square Garden. They will donate the award money to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, which funds research for Rett Syndrome, a unique developmental disorder that usually affects girls.

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

Posted under Uncategorized

School Bus Driver Jorge Munoz To Be Honored At Knicks Game

For Providing Thousands Of Free Meals

The New York Knickerbockers have announced Queens resident and Columbia native Jorge Munoz as the winner 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 during a Knicks game. Winners receive a $2,000 donation in their name to a charity of their choice from the New York Knicks.

 

Every night in Jackson Heights, Queens, Jorge Munoz, 44, delivers free home-cooked meals to people in need of food, helping about 140 people each night and using more than half the salary he earns as a school bus driver. With the help of his mother and sister, Munoz has served more than 70,000 meals over the past four years, a service they provide daily throughout the year and twice a day each weekend.

 

In addition to receiving the “City Spirit“ Award, Munoz was named last week’s CNN Hero, the cable network’s initiative to honor ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary deeds (www.cnn.com/heroes). 

 

At tomorrow night’s game versus the New Orleans Hornets, Jorge Munoz will accept the City Spirit Award at Madison Square Garden. He will donate the award money to his non-profit, An Angel In Queens, Inc., which supports all operational costs.

 

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

Posted under Uncategorized

The New York Knickerbockers have announced NY Waterway Captains and Deckhandsas the winner of the Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of January. The award, named in honor of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, 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. Winners receive a $2,000 donation in their name to a charity of their choice from the New York Knicks.

NY Waterway captains and deckhands instinctively reacted when they saw U.S. Airways Flight 1549 plunge into the Hudson River last Thursday. The commercial commuter ferries responded within two minutes pulling 142 of the 155 passengers from the jet’s wings and life rafts.

At tonight’s game versus the Phoenix Suns, three NY Waterway rescuers and owner, Arthur Imperatore, Sr., will accept the City Spirit Award at Madison Square Garden on behalf of the 14 vessels involved. The rescuers are: Brittany Catanzaro, 20, of Fairview, NJ, a NY Waterway ferry captain of the MV Thomas Kean, Jose Torres, 38, of Union City, NJ, acrew member on vessel George Washington, and Alan Warren, 35, of Hazlet, NJ, Director of Marine Operations. They will donate the award money to Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Casco, ME for kids with life threatening illnesses and their families.

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

 

Posted under Uncategorized

From homeless to community leader, 18-year-old student feeds hundreds this holiday season

The New York Knickerbockers have announced South Bronx humanitarianPatrick J. Alvarez as the winner of the Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of December. 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. Winners receive a $2,000 donation in their name to a charity of their choice from the New York Knicks.

 

Alvarez began Project Feed Me, a non-profit agency to feed the hungry, as a high-school senior after suffering through a childhood of violence and homelessness. Since its inception, Project Feed Me has fed hundreds, including, most recently, a Thanksgiving dinner for 110 Harlem families at the Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank Center. Alvarezhas taken his project and passion to Syracuse University, where he is a freshman, and created an executive board with classmates to further his mission. In addition, Project Feed Me is a finalist in retailer Best Buy’s nationwide contest, which awards $10,000 to 15 youth-led teams who are changing their communities.

 

At tomorrow’s game versus the Denver Nuggets, Alvarez will accept the City Spirit Award at Madison Square Garden. He will donate the award money to Project Feed Me.

 

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

 

Posted under Uncategorized