Worcester’s Denis Leary’s Impact

Courtesy of LiveLeak.com

It is surprising that we have not had the chance to write too much about Denis Leary since he is one of Worcester’s own.  Truthfully is that as a comedian he sometimes can rub people the wrong way.  Whether you are a fan or not it is undeniable that he has made a significant impact for the firefighting community.

Most people know him as an actor and comedian.  His show Rescue Me revolved around how a fictional world of firefighters would deal with the after affects of the events of 9/11.  His show ended this month on the 10th anniversary month of the event that shook our nation and propelled the role of emergency responders into the spotlight.

Though thankfully no one in my life was directly impacted by the events of that day anyone would be hard pressed to say that it has not affected them in a deep and lasting way.

Denis Leary was significantly impacted by fire back in 1999 when his cousin and a close friend were killed in the Worcester Warehouse fire.  This initiated his establishment of the Leary Firefighters Foundation which raises money to equip firefighters.  His involvement in those causes increased even more after 9/11.

What follows is a video from LiveLeak.com that highlights Leary’s foundation and the end of his show Rescue Me.