Community Corner

Human Bowling Ball Skydivers Raised Thousands For Brendan's House

Another fundraiser will be held on Sept. 29.

The first of two fundraisers to benefit the Brendan House, a group home on Sound Avenue where Riverhead teen Michael Hubbard will live, took place Sunday, with a "few thousand" raised to help defray costs of opening the facility, organizers said.

New Beginnings Community Center has planned both fundraisers; the first was held on Sunday, when Sky Dive Long Island and the All Star bowling alley team up for Sky Bowling.

Skydivers of Long Island were transformed into human bowling balls jumping from airplanes and hitting huge life size pins. 

Proceeds will benefit the Brendan House.

Next, on Sept. 29 a second fundraiser will be held for The Brendan House Project in Riverhead — and organizers are asking to find a civic or religious group that might have a tent, chairs and tables to lend.

The event, a Country Fair, will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at the Brendan House, located at 4079 Sound Avenue, and will feature live music with the Boot Scoot Boogie Band, pig and duck races, and kids' corner and inflatable toy, games, raffles, contests, prizes, and food.

Individuals can sponsor and name their own pig for $100 or duck for 50. 

The Brendan House will help to bring local teen Michael Hubbard, who was badly injured after a gel candle explosion two years ago, home to Riverhead. The facility is a new group home that's being created for people suffering from traumatic brain injury, which Michael suffered after his tragic accident.

The community has come together to help fund renovations on the Sound Avenue home: Recently, the Riverhead Rotary Club presented New Beginnings Community Center with a check for $5,000, to help fund renovations of the Brendan House.

At the recent Riverhead Rotary event were Sandi and Marshall Aykroyd, parents of Brendan Knight Akroyd, a young man who also sustained traumatic brain injury. He died in June, 2011, and the Brendan House is named in his honor.

Michael Hubbard has been grappling with TBI as a result of the severe burns he suffered as a result of the accident on May, 28, 2011.

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Michael will turn 17 in September and will have a room in the Brendan House.

After he was badly burned, Michael was transported to Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, N.Y. in Sept., 2011 by the same team that rescued him.

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New Beginnings has now obtained all town permits needed to begin construction; the state health department has also issued the necessary approvals.

"We're ready to go," Alysson Scerri of New Beginnings Community Center said. 

Many caring and skilled volunteers have offered their services and donations of materials from building supply companies have also poured in, Scerri said.

But funds are still needed: The organization still must raise an estimated $75,000 to $100,000 in additional donations to complete the project.

To that end, fundraising efforts for New Beginnings continue for the Brendan House.

The nonprofit corporation held its 5th Annual Summer Gala at the Long Island Aquarium in August.

After Michael's accident, the community came together to send love and support, following his progress, and holding fundraisers and events to help him with mounting expenses.



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