You are reading

Boys & Girls Club Names Local Firefighter ‘Man of the Year’

Photo: QueensPost

Dec. 20, 2012 By Bill Parry

The Sunnyside/Woodside Boys & Girls Club stopped its Wednesday night basketball game at PS199 to name Firefighter Brian McGowan the ‘Man of the Year.’

McGowan, a Sunnyside resident, was honored for his heroics in saving three little girls from a burning apartment building in the Bronx last May. McGowan, a big/tall man, crawled through smoke and fire, and then shepherded the young children out from their bedroom.

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer also presented McGowan with a proclamation from the City Council.  “It’s really important for our kids to know that real heroes exist and they come from the same neighborhood they do,” he said.

McGowan, who acted modestly, wouldn’t speak about himself or go into detail about his heroics.

He appreciated the award and then discussed the positive work of the Boys & Girls Club. “Programs like these can keep kids on the straight and narrow. We need more of these kinds of programs and get more kids participating.”

McGowan was accompanied by his wife, Kristen, and their one year old son, Jack. The couple, who have deep roots in the neighborhood, met while they attended Queen of Angels catholic school when they were youngsters.

Meanwhile, Kristen took a moment from chasing little Jack around the gymnasium to say, “I’m very proud of him and I know it means a lot to him, even if he doesn’t show it.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com

Featured Events

Post an Event

View All Events…

10 Comments

Click for Comments 
Mary M.

Great cause! Brian is truly a hero. Great job to the boys and girls club too. They’re doing amazing things in the community. Wow.

Reply
Edgar

He seems to be a true hero. Bravo. And he rescued them so they can witness the Apocalypse. You wouldn’t want a kid to miss that!

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News
NY Hall of Science debuts CityWorks, its largest exhibition in over a decade

The New York Hall of Science in Corona opened its largest interactive exhibition in more than a decade on Saturday, May 3. The exhibition explores the often invisible inner workings of the built urban environment.

CityWorks is housed in a 6,000 square foot gallery, and the exhibit was created by a team of NYCSI exhibit developers, researchers, and educators over the past five years. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the intricate systems and engineering that enable cities to function, including how they break, evolve, and endure.

Read More
0
Twenty people indicted in Queens-based $4.6M vehicle theft ring after three-year probe: DA

Twenty individuals were indicted and variously charged in a wide-ranging scheme to steal cars in Queens, throughout New York City and its suburbs, following a three-year investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the New York State Police dubbed “Operation Hellcat,” into the criminal enterprise based in Queens.

Some of the vehicles were stolen from owners’ driveways, some with the keys or key fobs inside. The stolen vehicles were often sold through advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The defendants are charged in nine separate indictments for a total of 373 counts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday.

Read More
0
Load More Articles