Alfred Rugby Club helps 'Jet' move sign to new home
For the third time since October 2009, the Alfred Rugby Club conducted a public service project for the Alfred community, this time on Feb. 28 for "Jet" owner John Ninos.
"The Alfred Rugby Club was a life saver for me," Ninos said. "I don’t know what I would have done without them. I didn’t know what I was going to do (about the remaining difficult items). My family and I are very grateful for their help.”
The “Jet” was damaged by the Oct. 29, 2009 fire on Main Street that completely destroyed other village businesses. Ninos was in the process of moving his business to a new location next to Community Bank on Main Street.
Ninos, however, ran into some problems. He had various commercial and other restaurant appliances that he had been unable to move with traditional means. Many were in the basement. All had been damaged by smoke and water during the fire. Some weighed several hundred pounds. There was no easy way to move the items, so Ninos called the Alfred Rugby Club.
Members of the Rugby Club went to work for Ninos, moving the very large, heavy items such as cook stoves, refrigerators and coolers in very tight, confined spaces. The club had about 17 members working that day, and, in the span of about two hours, cleared the remaining debris and moved the otherwise immovable pieces out of the building.
The Alfred Rugby Club has members from both AU and SUNY Alfred. Spring practice has already begun on Jericho Hill and membership is open to all Alfred college students on both campuses. The club plans on playing five weekend games this spring. In addition to public service, the club will also be hosting a showing of the 2009 rugby film Invictus on April 9 at Nevins Theater in Powell Campus Center.
For more information and public service ideas for the rugby club, contact coach Bill Pulos, recently appointed secretary of the New York Rugby Conference Executive Board, at wpulos@stny.rr.com.
