Postponed: Darren Drake Foundation St. Patrick's Day Fundraiser

The Darren Drake Foundation's Saint Patrick’s Day fundraiser originally scheduled for March 15, 2020 at Section 201 Bar & Grill in New Milford is postponed. The new date is yet to be determined. As soon as a new date is know, an announcement will be made.

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A $25 donation fee at the door includes admission, food, beer and wine, with proceeds going directly towards scholarship funding for local 2020 high school graduates. The event will include traditional Irish fare and entertainment, a 50/50 raffle, and chances to win a weekend getaway to Great Gorge or two New York Jets indoor club seating tickets.

Darren Drake: Lending a Helping Hand

Darren Drake, a well-known and friendly face in his New Milford neighborhood for several years, served as a member of the New Milford Board of Education. Pursuing his own educational goals, while helping others reach their own, was important to Darren. While undertaking his second master’s degree, he identified the need to meet a shortage of skilled tradespeople and questioned the lack of scholarships available to train future generations.

Darren was always there to lend a hand to help others, with a positive attitude and a beaming smile; he was an all-around good human being. He wanted high school graduates applying to vocational schools to have the same opportunity to access scholarships, as students attending traditional two- and four-year universities.

Life Cut Short by Terrorist Attack

On October 31, 2017, Darren’s life and the lives of seven others were cut short by an ISIS sympathizer, who drove a pickup truck onto a New York City bike path and plowed into the cyclists. Although Darren’s life was taken by this senseless act of violence, the Darren Drake Foundation carries out his wishes to provide opportunities for local high school graduates to take the non-traditional route and attend vocational schools with its support.

The Darren Drake Foundation launched in May 2018 and within one month, provided its first scholarship to a New Milford graduate. In June 2019, the Foundation announced two scholarships would be awarded to local graduates, expanding the recipient base to include students from neighboring towns, where the first female recipient from Bergenfield, New Jersey was awarded a scholarship.

The Darren Drake Foundation plans to expand and to extend its and Darren’s helping hands to more local students. Following the Foundation’s second annual memorial walk last year, U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, who represents New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District, said “Darren was a hard worker, an avid learner, but he’ll be remembered most for his kindness towards others as a supportive friend, a caring son, and a tireless advocate.”

For more information about the foundation or the event, visit the organization's website or contact event coordinator Kristen Wilkens at (201) 669-6503 or Kristen@darrendrakefoundation.org.