Pre-Thanksgiving Day Parade breakfast recognizes first responders

Back when he was on the job, retired NYPD detective James McCabe of Levittown sometimes worked the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It’s a lot more fun to be a spectator, said McCabe, who was preparing to watch it Thursday with his children and grandchildren, as part of the First Responders Children’s Foundation’s 22nd annual pre-parade breakfast.

“When you’re not working it,” he said, “you’re able to mingle with the crowd. It’s more enjoyable not working it. You get to socialize.”

His family was among those attending the foundation's festivities in Bryant Park and on 40th Street, which included breakfast, a toy giveaway for kids and more.

The foundation was established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It arranges for a prime, reserved viewing spot for a block or so north of 40th Street on Sixth Avenue, for police, firefighters, medics and their friends and family. A separate area north of 42nd Street is reserved for NYPD friends and family and others.

The foundation awards scholarships totaling $1 million divided among 415 children of first responders, according to board member Jacqueline Rosinsky of Setauket, whose husband is a retired FDNY captain. She now oversees the scholarship committee.

The organization prioritizes scholarships for kids who have a parent who has died or was injured in the line of duty. Others qualify, too. The scholarships, which range from $1,000 to $5,000 each, are based on financial need.

One of the recipients is Dominique Hawkins, 20, of Dallas, whose dad is a police officer in Collin County, Texas. She attends the University of North Texas, majoring in fashion design with a double minor in fashion merchandising and marketing. Her scholarship is $2,500, she said.

“A lot of scholarships, they don’t really offer money toward kids who have parents who are still alive and still being a first responder,” she said.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.