Race Registration
Chief Ray Downey
The Charity Fund
Authored Publications
Ray Downey Photos
2015 - 14th Annual "Forever Running" Memorial 5k Run/Walk
The 2022 21st Anniversary Run
The Downey Family is so happy to be able to host an in-person event for our 21st anniversary run. We will have the DC Raymond M Downey "Forever Running" 5k Run/Walk for those who would like to keep the tradition alive and continue to honor the memory of our Dad. We are so grateful for the support and love the Deer Park and running communities have shown us over the past 21 years. We also will have the Virtual 5K Run for those of you who cannot attend the live run. We would like to thank our family, friends and all those who have participated in making this such a successful event.
The D.C Raymond M Downey Forever Running Memorial 5K Run
About Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey
After serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Middle East, Ray Downey was appointed to the New York City Fire Department in 1962. Chief Downey's phenomenal 39-year career with the FDNY was built upon success after success and rescue after rescue. One of the most decorated men in the department, Chief Downey received five individual medals for valor and 16 unit citations. Additionally, referred to as "The Master of Disaster" and "God", Downey, commanding officer of the Special Operations Command (SOC), died in the line of duty while helping others escape from the fire and collapse scene of the World Trade Center on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. He was truly a legend in his own time.
The Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey Scholarship Charity Fund All proceeds from the race will benefit the organizations supported by the family of Ray Downey.
Scholarship Charity Fund
As a tribute to Chief Downey's legacy, his family has established the D.C. Raymond Downey Scholarship Charity Fund to keep his memory alive and to benefit the many organizations that Chief Downey cherished.
Race Times / Results / Awards
In Memory of DC Ray Downey
Read More About Chief Raymond Downey
FDNY's Ray Downey Mourned
Downey, chief of special operations command, was a firefighter for nearly 40 years and was the city's most decorated firefighter at age 63.
At the memorial service in Deer Park, on Long Island, a bagpipe procession was followed by a fire truck that carried a large flower arrangement made to resemble an American flag. Downey's helmet was on top.
Large American flags hung from fire ladders outside the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, where Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani were among the mourners. After the service, a group of children released two bouquets of white balloons into the air.
Downey was an expert on urban search-and-rescue, and led a team of New York City firefighters who responded to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. It was his idea to use cables to anchor a giant slab that was dangling from a roof of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, endangering rescuers.
Website Design & Hosting Donated By 2 Davids Design
Copyright © 2022 ChiefRaymondDowney.com
Deputy Chief Raymond Downey Scholarship Charity Fund
Deer Park New York, 11729