NEIL GRAVES
New York Post Online

July 4, 2001 -- Real-estate mogul Donald Trump yesterday added his Big Apple share to the Astoria Fire: Post Heroes Fund with a $5,000 check sent through Post columnist Steve Dunleavy.

The check was attached to a note from The Donald. It read: "Steve, I hope this helps . . . Keep up the great work."

Nury Hernandez/NY Post Donald Trump, visiting Shea Stadium to watch Sammy Sosa and the Chicago Cubs meet the Mets last night, has given The Post's fire-heroes fund $5,000.

The Trump contribution brought the Heroes Fund to $588,000, said the Uniformed Firefighters Association, which is administering the collection.

The Post started the Heroes Fund two weeks ago as a tribute to the deaths of three of New York's Bravest - firemen Harry Ford, John Downing and Brian Fahey - whose lives were claimed fighting a Father's Day hardware-store fire in Astoria.

A Suffolk County woman said Fahey's death in particular struck a chord with her, and she's doing her part to raise donations at an arts and crafts fund-raiser in Centereach.

"People ask me why am I doing this, and my answer is, 'How can I not?' said Josephine Gerardi, a retired Centereach nurse.

"My brother-in-law is a retired New York City firefighter, and Fahey lived about 20 minutes away, in Port Jefferson Station."

She said the fair, to feature Irish dancers and the Brookhaven Youth Orchestra, among others, will raise money through $20 contributions from each vendor, a raffle and all proceeds from food sales.

"Everything will go straight to the families," continued Gerardi, a mother of five who oversees a volunteer staff.

"I feel like it's my obligation. You have three fathers who died and left eight children behind."

The fair is from 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., July 21, on Holly Road between Jericho Turnpike and Holbrook Road, Centereach.