Flanked by Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Grapes, who helped save his life, and his wife Tina, holding daughter Madison, and son Tyler, Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy Allen Gerhardt throws out the first pitch at the Buffalo Bisons game Wednesday night. The game was a fundraiser for the injured deputy.
By Rick Pfeiffer Niagara Gazette
BUFFALO — The crowd at Coca Cola Field rose to its feet with cheers and applause. It wasn’t a home run that had Buffalo Bisons fans up and out of their seats. Rather, it was the appearance of injured Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy Allen Gerhardt.
With fellow Deputies Shawn Grapes and John Andres, the men who saved his life, at his side, Gerhardt took the home field pitcher’s mound Wednesday night and threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Buffalo Bisons game against the Syracuse Chiefs. The game was a fundraiser to help Gerhardt and his family with the considerable expenses that have piled up since the devastating accident in the early morning hours of July 18 that severed both of his legs.
“It’s overwhelming,” Gerhardt said of the crowd in the stands and the hundreds of friends and supporters who gathered at the ball park for pre-game festivities. “I appreciate it. I’m not a person who really likes attention, but I really appreciate this support. Like I’ve said, I can’t say thank you enough to everyone.”
In roughly a week’s time, members of the Sheriff’s Office and others managed to sell over a thousand tickets for the game, with a large portion of those proceeds going to Gerhardt’s benefit. Additional funds were raised from a 50-50 drawing and other raffles and giveaways during the game.
“I’m just speechless,” Gerhardt’s wife, Tina, said. “It’s just amazing honestly. This whole community has been beyond amazing. It’s great to know we come from such a great community.”
Gerhardt’s accident occurred just before a meeting in Western New York of the New York State Sheriff’s Association. Bisons Baseball President Jonathan Dandes said he saw Niagara County Sheriff Jim Voutour at the meeting and asked how Gerhardt was and if the ball club could do anything to help.
“And (Voutour) got back to me within a few days and said, ‘Yes, Allen and his family would like to do (the baseball fundraiser),’ ” Dandes said. “So we put it together. We’re thrilled to see (Gerhardt) here and just happy to be a part of helping out.”
Bisons General Manager Mike Buczkowski said when “bad things” happen in the community, the team is there to help.
“We wish (bad things) didn’t happen and we didn’t have to do things like this,” Buczkowski said. “But when they do, it’s great that we can do this to help a hero in our community.”
Voutour, a onetime star high school and college baseball player, looked around at the crowd in the stadium as they cheered his deputy and smiled broadly.
“What a great night,” Voutour said. “I can’t say enough about the Bisons. Everything we asked, they’ve done.”
For Gerhardt, who left his bed at the Erie County Medical Center a little over two weeks ago, and returned to his Newfane home, the evening was more than just a fundraiser. It was a chance to get out and see fellow deputies and other friends.
Gerhardt said he’s happy to be home now.
“(Getting out of the hospital) was like getting out of prison,” Gerhardt said with a laugh. “The staff there was outstanding, they took such good care of me. But there’s no place like home.”
The injured deputy is continuing his recovery and rehabilitation while he waits to be fitted for prosthetic legs.
“I am felling really good,” Gerhardt said. “The rehab is going good and I can’t wait to drive again.”
A veteran helicopter pilot with the Army National Guard, who flew rescue missions after Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav and flew 500 combat hours in Iraq from 2006 to 2007, Gerhardt believes he’ll still be able to fly choppers once he is fitted with his prosthetics.
However, for now, he’ll settle for driving first.
“You got to crawl, before you walk,” he said with a wide smile.
Original article and photos: http://niagara-gazette.com
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