Famous fighter pitches in for injured fire chief

EASTBROOK – Friends, family and neighbors of local Fire Chief Rick McNeil got a big boost Sunday in their efforts to help raise money for the injured official.

To be precise, the help they received is 6 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 260 pounds.

Tim Sylvia, the former heavyweight champ for Ultimate Fighting Championship who now competes under Adrenaline MMA, was in Eastbrook on Sunday afternoon to help raise money for McNeil, a former schoolmate and childhood friend of his. Sylvia, an Eastbrook native who graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1992, was a member of the local fire department with McNeil before he found his calling as a professional mixed martial arts fighter in 2000.

Between signing autographs and posing for pictures Sunday, Sylvia said that he wanted to do whatever he could for his childhood friend when he found out what the fire chief had been through. McNeil’s son, 13-year-old Tommy McNeil, died April 19 in the same fire that seriously injured McNeil and destroyed his mobile home on Abbott Lane. State police are still investigating the cause of the early morning blaze.

“As soon as I heard what happened, I was trying to think of what I could do,” Sylvia said, adding that he spent some time hanging out with McNeil on Saturday. “I was really surprised to see how well he was doing.”

Dozens came to the local community center over several hours on Sunday to meet with Sylvia and to get his autograph, including McNeil, who was released from a Portland hospital one week ago. McNeil was at the event briefly, however, and declined to talk with a reporter for more than just a few moments.

McNeil said he wanted to thank everyone who has helped out in replacing his destroyed mobile home and donating money to him and his surviving son, 14-year-old Richard McNeil.

“Everybody’s been a huge help,” the fire chief said.

Sylvia said that he won’t be in Maine for long. He’s scheduled to fly to Los Angeles today and then to New York on Wednesday. After that, he heads back to his home in the Quad Cities area of Iowa to train for his bout against Fedor Emelianenko in Anaheim, Calif., on July 19.

“I wish it was under different circumstances,” Sylvia said of his brief visit, “but it’s good to be home.”

Relatives and friends of McNeil said that a memorial service for Tommy McNeil will be held Thursday at the Hillside Cemetery on Route 200. A time for the service has not yet been set.

T-shirts, digital video disks and clothing were among the items sold at auction to raise money for McNeil. Pies, sports memorabilia and a pivot bow made by Bowtech were among the items available for silent bids.

Organizers were unsure Sunday how much money had been raised for McNeil at the event. A previous fundraiser on May 4 helped raise approximately $10,000 for the injured fire chief, while more events are coming up. A golf tournament and dance will be held at the White Birches in Hancock and a dance at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lincoln, both on May 24. The White Birches also will host a fundraiser comedy show on Aug. 8.

Information is available on the Internet at www.eastbrookvfd.org or by calling 565-3519 or 631-3211.