By Paddy McCarthy
Being Out&About has been a great way to hear and to meet people, that is what I love to be doing. So here we go with the news that Joseph Occhipinti is to be honored by the Det. Barney Ferguson Legacy Fund. I got this from the late Barney Ferguson’s son, James Ferguson. I am privileged to tell you in my Out&About that he said: “We are thrilled to announce that our Executive Director, Joseph Occhipinti, will be honored by the Det. Barney Ferguson Legacy Fund on August 22, at Juliano’s Restaurant in New Rochelle, NY. This prestigious award recognizes Joseph’s exceptional dedication and service, having proudly volunteered with the National Police Defense Foundation for the past 29 years.”
You can check out the ad on these pages with all the information on the 9th Annual ‘10-13’ Award Dinner that will be held on Thursday, August 22nd from 6 pm -10 pm. Now I know that I will be there so I hope to see you all there too.
To support the Emerald Legacy Fund by purchasing tickets or sponsoring a journal ad, please get in touch with Barney’s son, James Ferguson, at (914) 714-0249 or fergesq@optonline.net.
Now here is another event that is close to my heart, the Project Children Picnic + 5K Fundraiser. The announcement I received said that, “We are pleased to share that registration for our Project Children Picnic and 5K Fundraiser is now open! This promises to be a wonderful community occasion, as we come together to mark Project Children’s partnership with the Monaghan Peace Campus, and to celebrate Project Children’s archive opening at the peace campus in October 2025. The event will be held on Sunday, October 20th at Rockland GAA Center (160 Old Orangeburg Rd, Orangeburg, NY) from 10 am.
“We hope our community can support this fundraiser for Project Children and join our 12 wonderful ambassadors, as we bring our community together and reenact one final Project Children Picnic, with an optional 5K. To be guaranteed your size for the Project Children training top, please register by August 20th. This event encourages the community to come together, and honor Project Children and it is optional to run the 5K, but you must register to be part of the day.
“We can guarantee a fun morning for all age groups with music, food, and celebrations galore. Project Children truly appreciates your support for this special occasion, and we hope to see you there. Please sign up today!
“To mark the 50th anniversary milestone for Project Children, and to ensure its’ message of peace through the eyes of children spreads for generations, Project Children has forged a cultural partnership with Monaghan County Council and the Peace Campus in Monaghan town, dedicated to cross community and cross border peace initiatives across the island of Ireland. This partnership will see the protection, preservation and perpetuation of the charity’s 50-year legacy at the Monaghan Peace Campus. This state-of-the-art building will showcase the archives of this iconic organization, that offered 23,000 children a summer reprieve in America from the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
“Project Children are pleased to have Catherine Flood and Linda Croston of Croston Flood Recruiting, Consulting and Events to help spearhead the archival, community engagement and fundraising efforts both in the US and Ireland.”
I can verify that these two ladies Catherine and Linda are total professionals in what they accomplish on all events that come their way, you can take it from me.
Throughout the 40 years of the Project Children program, the charity offered over 23,000 young Catholic and Protestant children a 6-week US summer reprieve from the intrinsic, sectarian violence of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.
Founded in 1975 by the Mulcahy brothers in Greenwood Lake, the volunteer ran program spanned across 22 US states and enlisted the participation of over 16,000 host families.
Admired by world leaders, diplomats and movie stars galore, the program expanded swiftly across the US and Northern Ireland, making it instrumental in the pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland.
The program continues today for third level college students from Ireland, in the form of an intern program. The intern program is both cross community and cross border and gives each student the opportunity to work in their area of study, beginning the summer with a week working together at Habitat for Humanity in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The charity is proud to engage in community screenings of their “How to Defuse a Bomb: The Project Children Story”, a powerful feature documentary film that celebrates the unsullied hard work and dedication of the Project Children Charity and one of its founding members, Denis Mulcahy, a retired and highly decorated NYPD Bomb Squad Officer.
The film documents in details the organization’s pursuit of reconciliation in Northern Ireland, through the medium of its children and this extraordinary tale resonates to all that is good in this world.
Narrated by Liam Neeson and written/directed by Des Henderson, “How to Defuse a Bomb: The Project Children Story” is an inspiring documentary focusing on the Project Children charity, whose work was aimed at enlightening the children of “The Troubles” that a non-violent existence was feasible and peace in Northern Ireland was possible once you embrace the other side.
The film hosts interviews from Denis Mulcahy and his brother, Pat Mulcahy, who along with others, were the founders of the charity back in 1975. It also offers profound accounts on the experiences of the host families and the now adults, who participated as kids in the program.
The interviews from many world leaders demonstrates the impact the charity had on garnering support to make a change. The dip back in time to the interview archives from the 1970s, offers powerful accentuation of the impact that this program has had on the trajectory of so many lives.
“How to Defuse a Bomb” is a formidable film that tells the authentic story of real people, whose lives are changed forever. It is imperative for the world to see this show. Although its predominant focus is on Northern Ireland, the documentary’s message highlights the need for a cohesive, visionary approach to surpass the complications of conflict. So powerful and prevalent given the world we live in today!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Out&About and I hope to see you all again next week with another bit of gossip…