Islanders, Tunnel to Towers Erase Mortgage and Tuition Debt for Fallen FDNY Fire Marshal's Family

A Long Island mother, Hope McHale, recently experienced a wave of emotion at an Islanders hockey game when the team and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced they had paid off her mortgage and would cover her twin sons' college tuition. McHale, 57, of Manhasset, described the financial relief as "life-changing."

"The college thing is, I mean — there are no words," McHale told The Post. "There’s so much pressure off."

Her husband, Fire Marshal Martin “Woody” McHale, died on Christmas Eve 2012 after suffering a heart attack while driving home from a shift and crashing his vehicle. He had previously served as a 9/11 responder at the Ground Zero morgue. At the time of his death, his twin sons, Matthew and Ryan, were under four years old.

"Woody and I struggled to have children, and we had children late in life," McHale said, now a single mother. "They were definitely his prized possession – and [their birth] was definitely his proudest moment. He was just so happy to be a dad. He was such a good dad to my children."

Following her husband's death, McHale and her sons moved from Bayside, Queens, to Long Island in 2014, fulfilling McHale's final wish. She works in sales for Ralph Lauren.

During the Islanders' game on October 10, 2026, against the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, McHale's late husband was honored on the Jumbotron. McHale and her sons were guests in the owner's suite, where team co-owner Jon Ledecky was instrumental in facilitating the support from the team and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

"Here’s somebody making their way through life, and now they get this big assist," Ledecky told The Post. "And to put that love to work by raising these two kids alone as a single mom, it’s pretty incredible. … They’re terrific kids who are going to have great careers."

Matthew has been accepted to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, and Ryan is considering Fairfield University in Connecticut. Ledecky indicated he had used his connections to assist with Ryan's college applications.

The Islanders also raised $34,000 through a 50-50 raffle during the game, with proceeds benefiting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

"I felt kind of like it was a hat trick," Ledecky said, referring to the combination of honoring McHale, supporting the family, and raising funds for the foundation.