Why does Passaic have a day devoted to Bruce Lee?
Matt ***an 1 day ago
The City of Passaic on Tuesday chose a most unique ally in its fight against bullies — Bruce Lee, the late actor and martial artist.
Born Lee Jun-fan in Hong Kong, the actor had no ties to Passaic, yet Nov. 27, his birthday, has been declared the official "Bruce Lee Day" in the city.
Two reasons behind the decision, said Mayor Hector Lora after he signed the proclamation - Lee's history with bullying and city resident Howard Helfgott.
Lee was bullied throughout his childhood and formative years, Lora said. His star power, the mayor said, goes a long way in the fight to stop bullying.
Howard Helfgott is the second reason.
Helfgott, a fan of the actor since he saw "Enter the Dragon" at Passaic's old Central Theater, has been pushing for the past several years to have the special day.
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"This is a dream come true," said Helfgott.
© photo by Matt ***an Mayor Hector Lora hands Howard Helfgott the city's proclaimation of Nov. 27 as Bruce Lee Day. To their left are School Commissioner Craig Miller and Leong Ling, founder of Our Collective.
Helfgott said he's hoping to harness Lee's fame to combat bullying, he teamed with School Commissioner Craig Miller to create an organization to tackle this issue.
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