A hockey stick signed by Wayne Gretzky. A handmade dollhouse. GEICO bobbleheads signed by spokesman Brian Carney. Patrons at the popular Blazer Pub often bring their treasures to bartender Tommy Hunt. On St. Patrick’s Day, he climbs atop a milk crate to auction them off, raising thousands of dollars for children’s charity Friends of Karen. “Because I can make a difference,” he says, “I want people to know they can make a difference, too.”
Every St. Patrick’s Day, the Blazer Pub is a madhouse, and this year will be no exception, especially because the auction will be held on both Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17. Tommy and the wait staff juggle hundreds of orders for melt-in-your-mouth corned beef and cabbage, and pull enough beer to fill a tanker. But it’s the chance to do good for a local charity that makes him proud. “What Friends of Karen does is just amazing,” Tommy says. “Each year the auction gets bigger, and that means more help for sick children and their families.”
Friends of Karen is the only organization in the New York Tri-state area that provides vital, practical and comprehensive support, at no cost, to families caring for a child with a life-threatening illness, from diagnosis through treatment. Driven by compassion for families facing the most difficult experience imaginable, Friends of Karen helps free them of everyday needs and concerns, so they have more time to love.
Tommy’s not saying what’s in the auction this weekend, so stop by and find out. Or buy one of the glittery shamrocks that cover the walls. Click here for details. The Blazer Pub is at 440 Route 22 in Purdys. Peak hours are 6-8pm for the auction.
