Horanburg receives statewide honor

NEWFANE – Over the past nearly 50 years, Martin “Marty” Horanburg has held nearly every office in the Fire Department, including assistant chief and chief.

But he also has a lengthy list of service to the community outside the firehouse, which prompted him to recently be awarded the New York State Firemen’s Association “Fire Service Community Award.”

Horanburg, 76, is a 35-year member of the Newfane Lions Club, where he still coordinates the annual Easter Egg Hunt, volunteers for Breakfast with Santa and is a Swim for Sight volunteer. He sits on the Eastern Niagara Hospital board of directors, is a member of the Town of Newfane Business Association, the Newfane Sports Boosters Club and is known as the “Voice of Newfane,” in his role as the volunteer announcer for all Newfane High School basketball and football games.

For a decade, he was a volunteer coach and emcee for the New Wil Ran Youth Football Program, where he also served as president. And for the past 15 years he has volunteered as weekly ticket taker for the Olcott Carousel Park. He also served as a tour guide for school- children for three years at Old Fort Niagara.

Horanburg said he was both honored and surprised by the award, which members of the Fire Department and his family kept secret until a few weeks before it was awarded in a special celebration at the fire hall.

“You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who dedicates themselves as much as Marty to their community. He is a true inspiration and the definition of volunteer,” said James Burns, president of the Firemen’s Association of New York. “I can’t think of a better representative of FASNY and a more deserving candidate for this award.”

Horanburg, who worked for Harrison Radiator and then Electronic Data Systems, said he planned to “bum around” when he retired in 1996, but instead ended up as a groundskeeper at the par-three golf course, a part-time job he started out as one day a week, which grew to five days a week. It’s a job he still holds.

He admits he doesn’t say no when someone asks for volunteers to step forward.

“I’ve always had fun doing it, and it is satisfying,” Horanburg said of his many hats as a volunteer. “At times I do get tired and say I gotta back off, but I never do.”

He said it first started out when he became a member of Miller Hose the first year after he moved to the Village of Newfane.

“Back then it was kind of the social point. Everything revolved around it,” Horanburg said.

He said all these volunteer groups are important to the community.

“We just had our final Lions Club meeting for the year and got a list of the money we not only collected, but put back into the community and into different projects. It was close to $20,000,” said Horanburg.

Horanburg’s and his wife, Brenda, said people in Newfane are wonderful.

“If something happens tragically or whatever, people jump in,” said Marty. “When we lost our daughter recently I don’t know how many cards we received. Hundreds of sympathy cards.”

“Everybody jumps in,” said Brenda.

Other have also noticed Horanburg for his service. He received the Miller Hose Firefighter of the Year Award in 1981, the Niagara Police Athletic League service award two years ago and the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in 2001, the highest honor bestowed by the Lions Club for volunteerism and brotherhood. In 2012 he was awarded the New York State Senior Citizen Award for Niagara County.

“I stop and say, ‘Eh. I did a couple of things,’” he says with a smile.

But he admits he is honored. “With all of the people I’ve worked with in the various organizations and endeavors, really, I was just representing them. They all deserve the award.”

Horanburg grew up on a fruit farm in Hartland and graduated from Barker High School.

His first volunteer efforts began at age 18 when he joined the U.S. Navy and served his country for four years.

He and Brenda have four children, six grandchildren, six step grandchildren and four great grandchildren.