MIDTOWN -- A fundraiser by a West Village restaurant had an unfortunate change of focus Sunday when the intended beneficiary, a leukemia patient, passed away the day before the event.
Cowgirl restaurant, on West 10th and Hudson streets, planned the fundraiser to raise money toward a $300,000 bone marrow transplant for Fernando Calixto, 40, who had been given a terminal prognosis in March. After Calixto passed away Saturday morning, the bar went ahead with the event to help his family cover already existing hospital bills.