SAUGUS — The COVID-19 pandemic won’t stop Saugus’ Police and Fire departments from rallying for a good cause.
This Tuesday, the two unions have teamed up to raise money for breast cancer awareness by bringing residents a socially-distanced comedy show at Kowloon Restaurant filled with raffles, t-shirts, prizes, and more.
Kicking the night off with a patriotic performance by the Honor Guard and official Boston Bruins National Anthem singer Todd Angilly, attendees will be able to enter raffles throughout the evening to win prizes from local Saugus businesses, as well as SPD Patrol Union/SFD Union breast cancer awareness t-shirts that a flyer for the event boasts are the “first of their kind.”
“We’re going to keep it simple for our first (combined) year, (and) I think it’s going to be a good time,” said Saugus firefighter and co-organizer Anthony Arone. “People can come, have some food … It should be a nice night and an excuse for people to get out and patronize a local business.”
With an estimated 150 tickets already sold, firefighter Steve Morando said he was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the event gained traction, especially since its organizers — Morando and Arone with the fire department, and police officers Matthew Donahue and Dominic Montano — managed to pull the entire fundraiser together in less than three weeks during a global pandemic.
“With this being our first (combined) year and with COVID and everything, I was only expecting maybe 50 to 100 people,” Morando said. “That’s why I’m so happy. In 2 ½ weeks, we’re getting almost 200 people to show up. That’s pretty amazing.”
Arone said he was also grateful the departments were able to pull it off, especially considering how important the cause is for so many people.
“We have a couple members of our department who (the cause) kind of hit home for,” he said. “I mean, at this point (breast cancer) has touched everybody in one way, shape, or form, so when it comes to awareness and treatment and things like that, anything we can do to promote awareness in a positive way, we’re going to try to do that.”
He also said that none of it could have been done without the help of Kowloon or other local businesses that donated to the event, adding that the process was a true community effort.
“Kowloon is so good to us,” he said. “They’re donating the space, which is a huge help, and they never ask for anything in return.
“Being able to see everybody get out of the house for a minute and laugh and smile and raise money for a great cause, that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
Proceeds will be donated to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This event is for ages 21 and up. Tickets are limited and range from $20 to $250 and are available for purchase online at www.saugusbadgesforacure.com.
