The facility, all foods and refreshments and entertainment were donated by various organizations, families and businesses.
Members of the Westfield community participated in a picnic put on by the Sons of Erin following Jose Torres' funeral Tuesday.WESTFIELD – The Sons of Erin club was prepared late Tuesday to host as many as 5,000 people at a community sponsored picnic in memory of veteran police officer Jose Torres.
The facility, all foods and refreshments and entertainment were donated by various organizations, families and businesses both local and regional, said coordinators Daniel J. Puza, owner of North Elm butcher Block and retired police Lt. William M. Adamczyk.
“Our volunteer cooks are prepared to cook 5,000 hamburgers, 5,000 hot dogs and others like the Westfield Spanish Community have serving stations with various Spanish foods,” said Puza.
Adamczyk said other groups would provide pastries.
“This is the perfect of a community coming together to share,” said Adamczyk.
Sons of Erin president James Casey said hosting the picnic is a community service effort and easy “because we have a large enough area to accommodate that many people.
Shortly after 4 p.m. an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 people had already gathered.
“Jose enjoyed coming to the Sons of Erin especially for our annual 9/11 memorial tribute and to march in the Holyoke St. Patrick Parade,” said Casey.
“Our doors are always open to the Torres family,” he said.
Julia Luna and the Spanish community “received help from many merchants and restaurants including Fernado’s Restaurant in Holyoke, Medina’s Restaurant of Springfield, Santiago’s of Westfield and Old San Juan Bakery.
“It was also easy to get enough volunteers to assist with serving,” she said.
Puza and Adamczyk listed businesses including Arnold’s Meats, 90 Meat Outlet, C&S Wholesale, Commercial Distributors, Cosco’s and BJ’s wholesale clubs, Big Y Supermarkets and others.
“I am sure we missed somebody,” said Adamczyk.
Big Y also provided more than 40 volunteers to assist in the endeavor, Puza said.
The Enfield, Conn. Police Department Explorer’s Club provided staffing for traffic and parking control. The Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing assisted and area bus companies were provided shuttle service from Pine Hill Cemetery to the William Street club.
Torres died last Thursday from injuries he suffered after being struck by a dump truck at a Pontoosic Road construction site where he had been assigned traffic control duties.