A benefit concert will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25 at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre in honor of fallen NYPD detective and Air National Guard Reserve, Tech Sgt. Joseph Lemm.
Lemm, of West Harrison, left behind a wife, Christine, and two children, Brooke and Ryan. He was in the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing when he was killed in action along with five other Airmen on Dec. 21, 2015.
Lemm and his fellow team member, Staff Sgt. Louis Bonasca, have been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery during the attack.
According to the award citation, both Lemm and Bonasca put themselves between a suicide bomber and their team members in an attempt to shield the other Airmen from the explosion, which prevented some of them from being killed.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “honor and support first responders and military,” has organized the fundraiser on behalf of Lemm’s family.
“When we heard what happened to him, we contacted the NYPD immediately to find out how we could help his family,” said John Hodge, the chief operating officer for Tunnel to Towers. The organization decided to call the show the “NYPD Superman Benefit Concert” because Lemm’s nickname among his fellow officers was “Superman.” “We hope the community comes out big for him,” Hodge said.
A representative for the Capitol Theatre, located at 149 Westchester Ave., said that they expect a great turnout for the concert and that “the community is definitely coming together to celebrate a hero.”
The concert will be featuring performances by the New York Tenors, Clyde McPhatter’s Drifters, comedian Joe Piscopo and American Idol finalist Jax. Lemm’s teenage daughter, Brooke, will also be singing in her father’s honor.
The concert will also feature a live painting performance by artist Scott Lobaido, whose work is largely influenced by patriotic themes.
“I am honored to be performing at the fundraiser for Tech. Sgt. Joseph Lemm,” Lobaido said. “As the great New York tenor Danny Rodriguez sings ‘America the Beautiful,’ I will be painting a rendition of the stars and stripes. Takes just three minutes to speed paint it to Danny’s song,” Lobaido said, describing the piece as “exciting.”
Ticket prices for the concert range between $60 and $300. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the show will start at 8 p.m. For those who cannot attend the concert but would like to contribute, donations can also be made to the fundraiser online at NYPDSuperman.com. All proceeds and donations benefit Lemm’s family directly.
