When Help Is Needed,

A Growing Circle Of Friends Closes Ranks

By Shannon Hicks

The Fahey family has decided to help fellow Newtown residents Karen and Dave Delia and their children with a bottle and can collection.

Friends and professional associates of Dave and his family continue to reach out to the community to try and help offset the tremendous expense of emergency brain surgery and follow-up treatments after doctors discovered a brain tumor on July 12, and performed an emergency operation on Mr Delia the following day.

Dave and Karen have five children, ranging in age from 10 to 18 years — Colby, Cameo, Hannah, Alessandra, and George. Patrice and Tom Fahey and Karen and Dave Delia have children around the same age, so the families have known each other through school and many extracurricular activities for a few years.

“[Two of] our children, Evelyn and Sean, are the same ages of the two oldest Delia children, George and Aless, and we have been friends with the Delias for several years,” Patrice Fahey said this week. “As teammates on Torpedoes Swim Team, Mako Swim Team, and the Newtown High School swim team, we have carpooled together for quite a few years to swim events and practices.

“Our youngest daughter, Shaylyn 13, has been a teammate of their niece, Emma Delia, on Vasi’s Gymnastics Team in Newtown for several years as well,” she added.

The Fahey family has organized a bottle and can drive to raise money for the family. Newtown Youth Academy has agreed to allow the Faheys to place a container in front of the building at 4 Primrose Street to deposit bags of cans and bottles. Rinsing the bottles and cans before donating them is appreciated.

“Karen and Dave Delia are facing a tough challenge in their lives right now. Dave’s recently diagnosed medical condition prevents him from working and medical costs are going to be high,” Mrs Fahey wrote in an e-mail she recently sent out to a number of mutual friends.

The collection was set up on Monday, August 1, and will be ongoing until August 14. All of the money that is collected from the bottles and cans will be deposited directly into an account that has been set up for the Delia family at Savings Bank of Danbury.

Likewise, 100 percent of any donations received for that account will go directly to the Delia family, said Torrey “Chip” O’Connor, who told The Newtown Bee about his friend and co-worker in July.

“Any amount of donation will be greatly appreciated,” Mr O’Connor had said. “Thank you very much for your consideration.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the specially designated fund may do so at the Newtown branch of the Savings Bank of Danbury. Donors may make checks payable to Karen Delia, and send them to Savings Bank of Danbury, Attn Sharon Maynard, 20 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470. Cash and checks can also be delivered to that  branch, or to any Savings Bank of Danbury office.

Anyone wishing to help further in any way can contact Mr O’Connor directly at 203-778-5063 or 203-313-4431.

Those who have large collections of cans or bottles to donate, or who have questions about the can and bottle collection, can contact Mrs Fahey at 203-470-6082.