Sunday, April 27, 2025

19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party At Martha Washington Hotel in New York City

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HAMPTONS, NY – Sponsors and honorees gathered at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015 at the Martha Washington Hotel Ballroom in New York City celebrating the June 13th, 2015 event which will be held on the grounds of the Hayground School in Bridgehampton.

During the event I spoke to several supporters and sponsors including John Tortorella, Kathleen de Monchy, Jane Pontarelli and Regional Vice President of Long Island Kathy Munsch of the American Heart Association. My interview with Kathy Munsch was educational and very informative.

Kathy Munsch began her tenure at the American Heart Association in 2000 as a Senior Regional Director and was later promoted to Regional Vice President. She manages the Long Island office, the Long Island Board of Directors, a development staff and is responsible for the integration of her development staff with other departments in the Founder Affiliate such as Communications, Quality Improvement Initiatives and Professional Education. Before joining the American Heart Association, she was Executive Director for a grass roots breast cancer organization raising funds for education and awareness for Long Island women.

Kathy Munsch Hamptons Heart Ball Kathy Munsch Regional Vice President of the American Heart Association Long Island at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

Hamptons7

She began her career with not-for-profits working for ten years at the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence starting as their Supervising Paralegal and then becoming their Events Manager.

Through her leadership, more than 2,000 companies on Long Island have participated in National Wear Red Day, a component of the Go Red For Women Movement, which educates women of all ages by raising their awareness of cardiovascular disease.

Hamptons2 Hamptons Heart Ball Kathy Munsch, Regional Vice President of the American Heart Association Long Island and Cognac at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews John Tortorella, Katlean de Monchy and Regional Vice President of Long Island Kathy Munsch of the American Heart Association at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Cocktail Soiree at the Martha Washington Hotel in Manhattan.

Hamptons3 Hamptons Ball Real Estate Agent Jane Pontarelli and Cognac at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Real Estate Agent Jane Pontarelli at 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Cocktail Soiree at the Martha Washington Hotel in Manhattan.

I am here at the Martha Washington Hotel for the 19th Annual Heart of The Hamptons Ball Kick-Off Cocktail Party and I am here with this young lady and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Kathy: Hi, I am Kathy Munsch Regional Vice-President for the American Heart Association of Long Island.

This is the first time I have ever come to your actual kick-off party which is a preempt to the actual Heart of the Hamptons Ball.

Kathy: Yes and every year there is a kick-off. It is really to introduce our honorees, our chairs, our committee members, our sponsors and it is a chance for everybody to get together.

And to mingle and network.

Kathy: Yes.

Tell my audience what we can expect for this particular evening, at this event.

Kathy: Well, The Heart Ball is really to celebrate our achievements throughout the year and our mission is to make our communities healthier. We will have our honorees and we will have a survivor talk. A young woman will talk who is fourteen years old. When you hear her story and you see how inspiring she is you will say wow.

Will she be here tonight?

Kathy: She will be at the gala and you will hear her story.

How wonderful is that. You are doing such a wonderful job with the Heart Association. This is such a wonderful organization and it helps people of all ages that are suffering from heart disease.

Kathy: Yes it is and you know we are trying to make everybody more aware of prevention Eighty percent of heart disease can be prevented. We have made some great strides especially with women. Letting everyone know that heart disease is not an old man’s disease that many women are effected. It’s the number one killer for them. So really educating everyone on different ways that you can help prevent heart disease.

Yes, I know, I remember when Star Jones told me she was one of honorees a couple of years ago.

Kathy: Yes, she is a survivor.

She did not only talk here at the Heart of the Hamptons Ball but she also spoke at Fashion Week, I got a clip of her talking about that.

Kathy: She is a great speaker and very good for the American Heart Association and tells a story where you know she knew the signs and the symptoms but she didn’t think it was happening to her and she ended up with open heart surgery. She is here today because of modern technology which comes from all the research dollars with all the money we raise.

Thank God!

Kathy: Making a difference in everybody’s lives.

Absolutely. Tell my audience where we can find out more information about the Heart Association and how we can support it.

Kathy: You can go to www.heart.org and you can pull up Hamptons Heart Ball or you can find everything, anything you want to know about heart disease you can find on our website. There is a tremendous amount of information that is really important for everybody to understand.

Hamptons4 Hamptons Ball Michael Wellbrock, Cognac Wellerlane, Joy Marks, Alan Marks at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

Hamptons5 Hamptons Ball Lucia Hwong Gordon at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

The American Heart Association is this countries oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to battling cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The organization was founded by six cardiologists in 1924. The American Heart Association now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters working tirelessly to eliminate these diseases. They fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to save and improve lives.

Hamptons6 Hamptons Ball Joy Marks at the 19th Annual Hamptons Heart Ball Kick-off Cocktail Party on Tuesday March 24, 2015.

Their nationwide organization includes 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees. They transported their national headquarters from New York to Dallas in 1975 to be more centrally located. The American Stroke Association was created as a division in 1997 to bring together the organization’s stroke-related activities. Their mission is building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Enjoi Lux Presented 2nd Annual Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree at Seasons 52 Restaurant in Roosevelt Field

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LONG ISLAND, NY – Guys and Girls attended the 2nd Annual Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree at Seasons 52 Restaurant in Roosevelt Field on Saturday March 21, 2015.

Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree is dedicated to raise funds to benefit a community based non-profit, Women of Integrity Inc. (WOI Inc) 5th Annual Prom Dress Drive for young girls in the Nassau County community.

This event included an array of various Horsd’oeuvres, Desserts, Unlimited Red & White Wine networking, raffles and entertainment. Shantay Carter the Founder of Women of Integrity Inc. sat down with me and discussed the purpose behind the organization and Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree.

Womeon Integrity Shantay Shantay Carter Founder of Women of Integrity Inc. with Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane at the 2nd Annual Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree at Seasons 52 Restaurant on Saturday March 21, 2015.

Tell my audience why you are the founder of this organization?

Shantay: I am the founder of Women of Integrity Inc. because I found that there was a need in Long Island to help our under serve population of young girls. A lot of things are catered to the boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. I felt that there was nothing on Long Island. I am also a registered nurse so it was kind of in my nature to want to help people and give back so I found that a lot of our girls are lost. They are struggling.

They are very confused.

Shantay: They are very confused. They don’t have that good support system at home. Luckily I was fortunate to have that and I always wanted to pass that on to someone else and be able to give back to my community and that is why I started Women of Integrity. We can be their resource for these young girls.

Women of Integrity Board Members of Women of Integrty at the 2nd Annual Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree at Seasons 52 Restaurant on Saturday March 21, 2015.

We do etiquette workshops. We have done healthy living workshops, financial education and we work with Roosevelt High School after school mentoring programs where we go every Monday to Roosevelt High School and we work with the girls by bringing guest speakers. Just to be able to address topics that they want to talk about. It can range from everything and anything. We just did a guys panel, a male panel. We had two male speakers come in to speak to the girls. It was just meant to be able for them to ask questions like, “If I call a boy and he doesn’t call me back, why?” You know what I mean.

Yeah, they don’t understand.

Shantay: Yeah, so he was able to explain to them why. He stressed for them to stay in school.

They think it’s because they are ugly or fat or something.

Shantay: Right and he told them exactly that it is totally not the case. These guys are immature and they are young and they don’t really know what they want. So you have to know what you want as a young girl. You have to know your worth so they won’t treat you like that.

I love the name Women of Integrity.

Shantay: I wanted something that was going to stand out.

It sounds so powerful, Women of Integrity.

Shantay: That is what I wanted. I wanted women to know we all are Women of Integrity.

Shantay Carter also went on to discuss their Prom Dress Giveway Program.

Shantay: Our Prom Dress Giveway event will be next month on April 25th. We will be holding it at Kennedy Park in Hempstead. The kids just have to register online and that is for girls that are in need of a dress and who financially cannot afford it. I think prom is something that every girl deserves to go to. A lot of women have these dresses in the closet for years that they are not using, donate it for a good cause.

I want you to tell my audience where we can go to participate, where we can go to contribute and where we can go to support, what is the website?

Shantay: Our website is http://www.womenofintegrityinc.com

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Shantay Carter founder of About Women Of Integrity Inc. and Deborah Polidore Founder of Enjoi Lux at the 2nd Annual Girls to Pearls Soiree at Seasons 52 Restaurant in Roosevelt Field.

I also had the pleasure of interviewing Deborah Polidore from Enjoi Lux. Enjoi brings into existence luxurious events while highlighting emerging entrepreneurs and giving back to charity.

Girls to pearls Alaina Reid, Shantay Carter and Deborah Polidore from Girls to Pearls at the 2nd Annual Girls to Pearls Cocktail Soiree at Seasons 52 Restaurant on Saturday March 21, 2015.

Introduce yourself to the camera.

Deborah: Hi, I am Deborah the co-founder of Enjoi Lux.

Tell my audience about the organization and why you established it.

Deborah – We established Girls to Pearls because we love young women in our community and we felt that they need to have role models, not role models on television but real women that look like them, real women that attend their schools, real women that play at their parks and to let them know that their dreams are possible.

Women Of Integrity Inc. is an organization of a diverse group of women from all different educational, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds whose aim is to support and empower women of all ages and ethnicity, while fostering the confidence necessary to accomplish their goals, dreams, and aspirations of the future. We extend our support through Volunteer service, Professional mentoring programs, and Community outreach events.

Aid to Developmentally Disabled; 1st Annual Shamrock Shindig, Thursday, March 19, 2015 at Long Island Aquarium

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LONG ISLAND, NY – It was a Shamrock good time as Lads and Lasses gave their support and attended the 1st Annual Shamrock Shindig on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead.

Guests enjoyed an evening of Irish charm with a mix of marine life. The event was planned as Aid to the Developmentally Disabled (ADD). The fundraiser included h’orderves, cocktails, an Irish buffet and private access to the spectacular aquarium. The night was filled with fun and humor as guests were treated to comedy entertainment, as well as witness one ADD Executive or Manager being lowered into the aquariums 120,000-gallon Lost City tank for a nose-to-nose swim with the sharks.

DonRiebFounderADD Don Rieb, Founder of ADD and Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane, at the 1st Annual Shamrock Shindig on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead.

During the event I had the pleasure of interviewing Founder Don Rieb.

I am talking to the CEO of ADD. Introduce yourself to the camera darling.

Don: My name is Don Rieb. I am the founding CEO of the organization ADD. We started the agency in 1983 and we opened up our first residence in 1984 for those with disabilities and several years later we opened up programs for those with services for mental illness. We now have thirty residences in five townships.

And that is what this event is really all about. It’s participating and giving back to this organization.

Don: Yes. It’s actually critical. What’s happening over the past several years is that Albany and the federal government is reducing Medicaid funding for the past several years. Not just ADD but other organizations in New York State. It’s becoming much more difficult. They want us to do more for less.

More for less.

Don: Yet it’s getting harder and harder. So raising events like this is actually critical. Not only that but it get’s the community engaged in what we do.

And to bring awareness. That is the whole point behind this particular event. Obviously we are celebrating St. .Patrick’s Day but in a nice way because we are giving back to this wonderful organization.

Don: That and as you said it becomes an educational process for the community. The East End has been absolutely wonderful to us. It’s a wonderful community and we are happy to be here. We have houses out in East Hampton, Southampton, Greenport, Southold and Brookhaven Town. People are great.

Tell my audience what we’re going to experience at the 1st Annual Shamrock Shindig.

Don: Well this evening, obviously it’s to get the community together to learn something about ADD and to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. One of the things we are going to do is, we have a shark tank contest and the people who contributed will go into the shark tank. We had a program director and our board president, they got the most funding so there going to be going into the tank with the sharks!

Oh my God!

Don: Yeah, that’s what I said. Getting the people here is really about awareness and raising money is extremely important to us. All the money that we raise will go to all the people we serve.

Tell my audience where we can go to participate, support and contribute.

Don: We have a website. It’s http://www.addny.org

I also spoke to President Vincent Barry and why he became a big supporter of ADD.

Tell my audience why you are a big supporter of ADD.

Vinnie: Well I have been with ADD for more than ten years on the board and I really didn’t know too much about ADD when I first joined. I heard about it and the longer I have been with it’s been just a phenomenal organization. Don runs a great organization. It serves a very strong lead out here to save the mentally challenged and disabled. Don started this thirty years ago in 1984 with one home and now it has grown to thirty houses.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Founder of http://www.addny.org Donald Rieb and President Vincent Barry at the 1st Annual Shamrock Shindig at the Atlantis Aquarium in Riverhead, NY on March 19, 2015

The purpose at ADD is to provide the optimum level of quality rehabilitative services to all individuals living within their residential program. They provide a healthy, safe, and homelike environment in which individuals may achieve the greatest level of independence possible. ADD strives to surpass all requirements of OMH, OMRDD, federal, state and local authorities.

They are guided by their core of values:

  • Respect
  • Choice
  • Trust
  • Empathy
  • Dignity

ADD believes that every individual has value and the potential to learn and achieve goals. ADD does everything to inspire self-esteem, and encourage individuals to help each other and work together whenever possible. They aim to achieve fulfillment for every individual and employee by providing innovative and progressive programming and training. They are consistent in providing competent and compassionate staff who are role models for the people they serve. Standards of excellence are adhered to and monitored, as we work to achieve continuous improvement in all areas. ADD is dedicated to creating an environment where individuals are given the opportunity to be productive members of their community.

For more information please visit http://www.addny.org

Original Soup Man Famous Delicatessen, Grill Grand Opening in Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall

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LONG ISLAND, NY – Shoppers gathered with a line around the corner at Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall on Long Island to attend the The Original Soup Man Famous Delicatessen and Grill’s Grand Opening in the mall’s food court from 12 – 3 p.m. on March 21, 2015.

Actor Larry Thomas, The Soup Nazi, from the hit TV Show “Seinfeld” was on hand to sign autographs and serve the many varieties of soup to shoppers during lunch time.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Founder Seb Rametta. Mr. Rametta is founder and member of the Board of Directors of the subsidiary, The Original Soup Man, Inc. and is responsible for the executive management, focusing on strategic relationships, driving sales and distribution. He served as the Executive Vice President and a director of Soup Kitchen International from January 2005 to December 2009.

Soup Man Delicatessen Larry Actor Larry Thomas and Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane at The Original Soup Man Famous Delicatessen and Grill’s Grand Opening, Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall, Saturday, March 21, 2015

Tell us about the Orignal Soup Man Famous Delicatessen and Grill:

Reb: It’s about the ingredients, the abundance of the ingredients. We are so happy to be here at Roosevelt Field Mall with our new delicatessen grill concept. The crowds have come out.

This is amazing, the line is wrapped around the corner.

Reb: Because it’s all about the soup and the food. We deliver great food to people. They like it and they come back. It’s that comeback flavor that is created here and it is so wonderful. We are excited and I think you should try a cup.

I will. I am going to try the Lobster.

Reb: We are going to open these stores in casinos, malls and airports all around the country. I also have six of our varieties in Tetra Pak cartons. These cartons lock in the freshness and made it available on the shelf next to Campbells and Progresso on the soup aisles.

So you can actually buy the soup?

Reb: You can buy this soup in supermarkets across the country. These are new lines for us. Now we bring something new and exciting to the grocery aisles for soup because there is nothing that taste quite like our soups and we are excited about opening here in Roosevelt Field and we have new stores coming.

Tell my audience, how did you get involved in this and why did you get involved?

Reb: Because it’s about the food and Al Yeganeh started this in the 1980’s in Manhattan and he made these wonderful soups, Best of Zagat of New York.

Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information.

Reb: The website is http://originalsoupman.com

I also spoke to the “Soup Nazi” himself Actor Larry Thomas from “Seinfeld” who made an appearance to serve the soup to patrons at the grand opening.

Tell my audience why is this soup so spectacular?

Larry: It the way it’s made. It’s the best soup out there. The best soup there ever will be. You have to taste it for yourself but you will see. I never had anybody taste this soup without telling me “This is the best soup they ever had.”

Do you have a favorite?

Larry: I do have a favorite, New England Clam Chowder is my favorite.

Later I had the chance to chat with Co-owner Rakesh Chada who owns several franchises in Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall.

Tell my audience why you decided to open up such a brand of restaurant?

Rakesh: Soup Man was always known for the lobster bisque, a world famous soup and that inspired “Seinfeld” to do a show on him. It was the best soup in the world Zagat rated and with my current experience that we could take this brand into a second level and with the delicatessen, with the great sandwiches, we have a grill and I think this brand is ready to give Long Islanders great food at a reasonable price.

SoupManDelicatessen Larry Thomas, Cognac, Seb Rametta and Rakesh Chada at The Original SoupMan Famous Delicatessen and Grill’s Grand Opening, Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall, Saturday, March 21, 2015

In 1984, The Original Soup Man opened its doors at 55th Street & 8th Avenue in Manhattan and quickly became a worldwide destination. Rated number one by Zagat and honored by the New York Times as “Art, not Soup,” it set the standard for innovation and excellence long before the famous “Seinfeld” soup episode made it a cultural icon. The company sells soup across America to grocery stores in their Tetra Pak cartons and at their The Original Soupman restaurants and food services. Shaquille O’Neal is an adviser and equity partner, as are Mr. October, Reggie Jackson and the award-winning actor, Jason Alexander. Lloyd Sugarman, co-founder of Johnny Rockets Hamburgers is their Chairman of the Board. SoupMan Inc.is a fully reporting public company trading under the symbol SOUP.

Health and Wellness Fair at Freeport Recreation Center in Freeport, Long Island, March 14, 2015

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LONG ISLAND, NY – Long Islanders enjoyed participating in the Health And Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Freeport Recreation Center located at 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport, NY 11520.

The fair featured an array of vendor exhibits. Special attention was given to all senior attendants. There was also senior housing applications, updated information on OBAMACARE, Healthy food, a Zumba class, health screenings, glucose, vision, blood pressure, diabetes control, mental and occupational health, workshops, skin care, wellness promotion and fun for the entire family.

This collaborative effort involving many agencies related to health and human services providers was to promote access to health care, encourage preventive health screenings and provide residents with information helping them live a healthier lifestyle.

I spoke to one of the sponsors at the event, Crystal Smith, from Health Plus Amerigroup. HealthPlus Amerigroup offers free or low-cost health insurance to New Yorkers in the five boroughs and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Putnam Counties. They are committed to improving the health and well-being of New York’s culturally diverse communities.

Healthandwellness3Crystal Smith from Health Plus Amerigroup (left) with Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane at the Health And Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Freeport Recreation Center

Tell my audience why you decided to become a sponsor for this particular event.

Crystal: We sponsor this event every year for several years now. This is one of our community based organizations that we do business with. They have a lot of events here and some other areas also. We are always a sponsor at these events. It gives us the opportunity to reach out to the communities and the families and the neighborhoods to offer health insurance to people who might not have or might not know areas that we can offer health insurance to.

 Tell my audience a little more about the Health & Wellness Fair. What is it really all about?

Crystal: It’s about letting the communities know that health is important and to come out and see all the vendors that are here and go to the tables and see what kind of benefits are available to them. We have people taking blood pressure, we have people doing diabetes screening and we have service organizations offering health insurance. A lot of people don’t know if they might qualify and some of these benefits are free to communities as well, so that is why we are here to let people know that we are available for service.

Tell my audience about your company.

Crystal: We are HealthPlus Amerigroup. We have been around for thirty-five years. We are located in Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk County and throughout the five boroughs including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.

If we want to find out more information about your company, where can we go?

Crystal: http://healthplus.amerigroup.com

I also had the opportunity to speak to the new General Consulate of New York, Maria Isabel Nieto, of the Colombian Consulate.

Healthandwellness1 General Consulate of New York, Maria Isabel Nieto, of the Colombian Consulate (left) with Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane at the Health And Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Freeport Recreation Center

Tell my audience, it is so important for us all to become more aware of our health, as a big supporter what should we all do?

Maria: In order to have good health, eat well, drink plenty of water. Unfortunately there is a problem of obesity, we should pay attention to proper nutrition. Unfortunately a lot of immigrants are not really clear so they are afraid of approaching the health institutions. Coming to fairs like this and taking advantage of the programs of health is something completely different from immigration so they shouldn’t be afraid. Come to these kind of fairs, go to your nearest hospital to get advice on how you can have a healthier life.

Prevent all those health ailments that plague us all.

Maria: Absolutely!

Tell my audience where we can go to find out more about the Colombian Consulate?

Maria: the Colombian Consulate is located in Manhattan, 10 East 46th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue. We have a website http://www.columbianconsulate.com

The event was promoted by J&A Global Corp. J&A Global Corp, which brings more than 15 years of combined experience in Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relationships, all together within the area of Event Designing. Their organization was originally created in Colombia, South America, where they were able to build expertise in the commercial, industrial, and government sectors.

Healthandwellness2 Carolina Vélez and Alexandra Aristizabal with Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane at the Health And Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Freeport Recreation Center

The event was sponsored by Health Plus Amerigroup, Health First, Fidelis Care, WellCare, NuHealth, United Healthcare, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Freeport Medical Supply Inc. and AgeWell.

For more information please visit http://www.jandaglobalcorp.com

North Shore Historical Museum Members and Supporters Celebrate 2nd Anniversary

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LONG ISLAND, NY – North Shore Historical Museum members and supporters joined in for a celebratory cocktail party for the Museum’s 2nd Anniversary in the historic 1907 Justices Court building on Jan 31, 2015.

The event honored Brian Mercadante’s long tenure at the helm as President of the Museum. The event featured food and beverages and a videographic history of the two years since the Museum opened in January of 2013 with highlights of the many exhibits, guest lecturers, authors, theatrical events, historical presentations, and film and musical events hosted by NSHM. Guests also enjoyed meeting ‘faux-mous’ dignitaries, such as J.P. Morgan, Jr. and Teddy Roosevelt,.

At the event I had a moment to chat with Chair Victoria Crosby.

Victoria Crosby and Barry Rivadu North Shore Historical Museum Board Members Victoria Crosby and Barry Rivadue on Jan 31, 2015.

Museum Author Monica Randal and Board Member Victoria Crosby North Shore Historical Museum Author Monica Randal and Board Member Victoria Crosby on Jan 31, 2015.

I am here with the Chair of the event and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Victoria: I am Victoria Crosby. I am a board member and former vice-president of the North Shore Historical Museum.

Tell my audience about the event this evening.

Victoria: This event is to celebrate the second anniversary since the museum has been opened and also to honor Brian Mercadante who has been the president for our organization for seventeen years. Seventeen years ago he got the idea to turn this building into a museum. It was a court house and it was built in 1907 and there is a jail cell downstairs. You can see there is a court room here. It hadn’t been used for many years. It was empty and decaying and deteriorating quit badly. So once we had the charter to make it into a museum we had to raise the money to restore it to the way it looked in 1907 and that’s we we did.

Over one hundred years old is this building?

Victoria: Over one hundred years old is this building; we restored it to look the way it did then because it had changed over the years and now it has opened as a museum for two years.

It’s beautiful and so fitting to make this government building into a museum. Tell my audience again the year it was established.

Victoria: 1997, but the museum didn’t open until two years ago.

And now this is your 2nd anniversary?

Victoria: This is the second anniversary of the year we opened as a museum. We got a charter first and then we had to raise some money in order to fix the inside and outside of the building.

Lovely. Now why did you get involved in all of this?

Victoria: Well, I have been living in the community for thirty years and very involved in many aspects of Glen Cove and the surrounding area. I am very interested in history particularly the old mansions.

Oh, they are just gorgeous!

Victoria: So when I heard about this, I was very interested in getting involved and I have been involved for at least fifteen years.

The Great Gatsby, that house was in Long Island. Where was that house located?

Victoria: Well, it was fiction.

Of course

Victoria: But it was suppose to be Great Neck.

Oh, it was Great Neck. I see. I wasn’t sure. I thought it might have been Glen Cove.

Victoria: Well it could have been. We still have a lot of wonderful mansions here. It could have been F. Scott Fitzgerald’s mansion, J.P. Morgan’s mansion, The Woolworth mansion, the Pratt mansion. He might of got his inspiration by seeing the wonderful mansions in the area.

You are in character right now?

Victoria: Yes, I am suppose to be Mrs. Vanderbilt.

 I love it. I would like you to tell my audience where we can go to get more information about the North Shore Historical Museum.

Victoria: You got to go to www.northshorehistoricalmuseum.org that’s our website and you can find out all about us. We have this exhibit on now which is at an end. We will be getting a new exhibit in a few weeks and our exhibits are changing. We have lecture series, we have some wonderful events here. We did “A Few Good Men,” because it is a play set in a court room. I don’t know if you know that the movie “North By Northwest,” was filmed here.

Was it really?

Victoria: Partially here. The court room scenes were right here in the court room and the jail cell downstairs was also part of that movie. Cary Grant was here. We showed the movie last year on the 55th anniversary of its filming.

Wonderful. Tell my audience one more time the website.

Victoria: www.northshorehistoricalmuseum.org

I also spoke to Mayor Reginald A. Spinello of Glen Cove who presented the award to President Brian Mercadante for his dedication and hard work.

Spinello Mayor Reginald A. Spinello of Glen Cove and Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane at the North Shore Historical Museum on Jan 31, 2015.

This is a very exciting thing for this museum to be a part of the community. Tell my audience how thrilled you are that the museum is celebrating its second anniversary.

Mayor Spinello: This is a wonderful event. Brian Mercadante who had the vision, has restored, I should say a 1907 court house. It’s been embraced by not only the city of Glen Cove but the surrounding communities. They have wonderful events here. They have lecturers, they have exhibits, it is well received. It really is a nice little addition to our great city.

Tell my audience a little more about Glen Cove. Why is it a very significant part of Long Island?

Mayor Spinello: Glen Cove is beautiful. Glen Cove is part of the Gold Coast. We have many mansions in the greenbelt area. It is a waterfront community. We are in the beginnings of a revitalization. We have this year a waterfront project starting, a one billion dollar project that would be 1,000 residential units, restaurants, a marina, commercial retail and we are also redoing our downtown. We have a mixed use development company coming in that will change Glen Cove from a bedroom community to a vibrant happening downtown. Glen Cove has a lot of tradition, lots of history. Most people that you see in Glen Cove have been born and raised and stay here. You go in the morning to have breakfast in the local coffee shop. It’s like a throw back to the olden days and everyone knows everyone and there is a friendly good morning and good cup of coffee. So it’s a great place.

Lastly I had the privilege to talk to the President Brian Mercadante.

1 North Shore Historical Museum President Brian Mercadante on Jan 31, 2015.

3 North Shore Historical Museum Board Member Barry Rivadue on Jan 31, 2015.

Tell my audience about the struggle that you have had getting this established into a museum.

Brian: The first thing we had to do was apply to the New York State Department of Education because museums are charted by the New York State Department of Education. We applied for that in 1997 and we became a chartered museum in 1998. At that time we knew we wanted to be a museum. We started to raise money, we started to raise funds. We did small shows in City Hall and at the library and we raised funds to get this court house back and we raised over one million dollars for the museum in that period of time. That’s seventeen years. We restored this building. This building at the time was in terrible shape. It had been used for satellite court house in the town of Oyster Bay. It was built in 1907 when Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States.

Oh my goodness. Over 100 years ago.

Brian: It was a very cool time to be here because the Pratt family was here and Teddy Roosevelt lived in Oyster Bay. There were a lot of wealthy people here. J.P. Morgan lived here. Woolworth lived here. People came out here by steam boat. They came out here at that time for vacations. It was like the Hamptons.

I know. Isn’t that something how history has changed. Now everyone goes to the Hamptons instead of the Gold Coast.

Brian: Well they have cars now or planes and helicopters but back then they did a lot of travel by steam ship because they all didn’t have cars and there were not enough roads. This was started by Oyster Bay. They built the building as a satellite court house as I said and then Glen Cove became the city and broke away from the town of Oyster Bay in 1917. The town of Oyster Bay gave this building to the city of Glen Cove for its first government.

I see you have a lot of exhibits. How many exhibits do you have here as we speak?

Brian: We have some permanent exhibits which are always on disiplay and then we rotate other exhibits. The big rotation is World War I. We are ending that exhibit right now.

Brian Mercadante will be stepping down and the new president, Georgie Connet, will be taking reign on February 1, 2015. The North Shore Historical Museum has been chartered by the New York State Department of Education to collect and exhibit artifacts and archives of Long Island’s North Shore. For more information please visit www.northshorehistoricalmuseum.org

Historical Museum Board Members North Shore Historical Museum Board Members on Jan 31, 2015.

Horror Enthusiasts Attend the 8th Annual Macabre Faire Film Festival at Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge

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LONG ISLAND, NY – This past weekend horror enthusiast attended the 8th Annual Macabre Faire Film Festival at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, NY. From Friday January 16th through Sunday January 18th, horror fans from across Long Island alongside celebrity guests such as Cleve Hall – “Monster Man,” Jonathan Tiersten – “Sleep Away Camp,” Eileen Dietz – “The Exorcist,” Robert Mukes – “House of 1000 Corpses,” Elizabeth Shepherd, Rutanya Alda, Lesleh Donaldson, Sharon Lentz, Jim Krut, Tiffany Shepis, Stacey Nelkin and several local independent filmmakers enjoyed a scary good time as the NY Horror Show and Macabre Faire Film Festival returned to Long Island.

I had a chance to chat with Founder Elsie Ginsberg who is dedicated to growing the Macabre Faire Film Festival and Twitch Twitch Productions. Both Elsie and Adam Ginsberg, her husband’s mission, is to accommodate those who love the scare…The thrill…The unknown…And the entertainment provided by experiencing something outrageously different than the norm. They provide unique theatrical productions, films, events, radio, videos, original music and live character appearances for all types of events.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actor Cleve Hall from the SyFy Channels Monstor Man poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Here is what Elsie had to say:

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and it’s January 2015 and I am here with Elsie, the lady that coordinated this whole event and the founder of the Macabre Faire Film Festival and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Elsie: I thought you did such a lovely job but If I have to do it again I am Elsie Ginsberg but many know me as Elsie Macabre in the filmmaker world and social media but this is me.

Tell my audience about the Macabre Fair Film Festival for those who are unaware of what this evening is really suppose to be about.

Elsie: Well for starters this is our eighth Macabre Faire Film Festival and that all has happened in a matter of two and half years I believe. A lot of people wonder how we managed to do all of that. Well actually we do several different showcases a year. So here we are at the eighth one but January is always the biggest. Why, because we have two sets of awards. Tonight is the night that we actually award the best of the best of all the screenings that we did for 2014. Those are called the Macabre I Awards. Then on Sunday after we have screened what we currently have is 126 independent movie titles that will be screening in four different rooms. On Sunday we will be awarding best in category that night.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actor Jonathan Tiersten from Sleep Away Camp poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

So there is 26 films

Elsie: 126 films; Oh, we don’t play around. We set out our goal to shine a spotlight on independent filmmaking. If we are not willing to really make it a carnival of films then we are not doing what we promised we were going to do. So come hell or high water, we do our best to bring in as much as we can, great films from around the world not just nationally but internationally. We have got filmmakers who have flown in today from the UK, from India, from Canada, from Los Angeles, so we really are excited and with every single one we are doing we are just growing more and more and more. This is really important to us. the red carpet event, because this is our way of elevating the expectations from a genre film festival.

When you’re dealing with horror film festivals, sy-fy film festivals, a lot of times we just kind of like you know put on our jeans and T shirts and get ready for the film festival.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actor Robert Mukes from House of 1000 Corpses poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Not here, your event is very elegant. I must say people are dressed and approaching with gowns and furs like me and diamonds like you. It’s really a very festive glamorous evening. I really feel like I am in Hollywood.

Elsie: Well thank you Cognac. From you I will take that. It means a lot to me. You know again I stay very firm. Myself and my husband, Adam Ginsberg, we really feel passionate about what we are trying to accomplish here. We already have said we want to try and get this to the point of being the Oscars for the genres community especially horror. This is how we do things. So it’s not only looking fabulous and walking the red carpet and having a fabulous evening but also the respect that we are presenting to the actual films that are screening. It’s very important that the sound be right, the screens are right and what we schedule to happen when it is suppose to happen and that’s it. Unless there is the unexpected Murphy Law situation the show will go on no matter what we will make sure that everything in the program happens.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actress Eileen Dietz from the Exorcist poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Now I understand that you are going to have a roster of celebrities attending. Tell my audience who those fabulous people are going to be.

Elsie: Oh, we have a nice roster. We have Robert Mukes from “House of 1000 Corpses.” I cannot wait to see him and he is going to tower over us. He is almost seven feet tall.

That’s pretty scary. That’s scare right there!

Else: He is so handsome and he is so sweet. He is a great package. On top of that we are going to have Cleve Hall “Monster Man” SyFy Channel. He is coming in. Eileen Dietz, you spoke with her.

I remember last year.

Elsie: She is back again. She is our film festival ambassador. So it’s important that she is here. We are going to have Elizabeth Shepherd.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Actress Elizabeth Shepherd from Omen II poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Yes, I want to interview her, Elizabeth Shepherd (Omen II)

Elsie: I have to tell you I am very excited about having her here because I love “The Omen,” I love “Omen II,” and I love “Omen III, The Final Conflict” and to know that we were able to get someone of that caliber to walk our red carpet I mean along with everybody else, I have this little special place to meet her.

Is Victoria Price going to be here?

Elsie: Victoria Price unfortunately…

Couldn’t make it?

Elsie: Well you know she has got a real job and when that knocks on her door she has to take care of business. So it kind of happened. Trust me I spent a lot of time speaking with her and we were suppose to meet up and talk about her father (Vincent Price), talk about the book that she has coming out. I just want to spend some time with her but she has promised that she is going to see about spending the weekend with us next year so it will happen.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Lesleh Donaldson from Curtains and The Funeral Home poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Ok, we look forward to that. This is going to be a fabulous evening! After the red carpet people will be walking in to the banquet hall. Tell my audience what we will be seeing inside the banquet hall.

Elsie: We have a little dinner set up for them and then during the dinner we have a special screening of a short film called “The Secret” directed by Andrew Leckonby. He was one of our best short film winners a couple of years back. Unfortunately we lost Andrew in October and we were very saddened by it and even thinking about it now I, it’s a little hard to think about it. We wanted to do something special for him so we knew how much it meant to him to have his work seen so we decided that we were going to screen his short film here so that everyone can see it one more time. After that we are going to liven things up with a undead comedy show with Salvatore Rizzo. The Dead Father will be hosting a low rent version of the “Johnny Carson Show.”

How hysterical!

Elsie: I mean it’s a horror convention at the end of the day so I thought that would be a lot of fun. Then we have the lovely Nicole doing the dark side of opera. We have a tribal dance group that is going to be doing a show as well and then we have Robert Frankenberg who is going to be doing “Symphony of Oblivion” where he is going to bring us into a horror movie sound scrape live on stage.

This is incredible!

Macabre Fair Film Festival Sharon Lentz who played Sara Collins in Dark Shadows poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Elsie: We try, we try. It means a lot to us. We respect the films. We respect the experience and we only hope that this is an infectious behavior what ever else you want to call it. We really want the filmmakers to feel the same way. A lot of filmmakers say “We love what we do,” love it even more. Love it even more and when you present it present it with the utmost pride and respect because I know that we are doing that for you so we hope you do it too! We are just ready to have a great time.

And so am I! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about The Macabre Faire Film Festival; what is the website?

Elsie: Please go to Facebook/Macabre Faire Film Festival. I am always reachable. Send a private message, send me an email. Whatever it is I am here.

Macabre Fair Film Festival Shay Cully, Actor Robert Mukes and Founder Elsie Ginsberg poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival on January 16, 2015.

Macabre Faire Film Festival’s mission is to provide a respectful, competitive, celebratory and affordable film fest event that is judged by a panel for independent filmmakers to enter their Strange-ifical, Weird-ifical, Horror-ifical, Sci-fi-tastical, Fantastical and Macabre-licious films to be viewed by the fans with the opportunity to win awards, increase film visibility via press and possibly obtain distribution via the Festival’s Distribution Alliances on both the East and West Coast of the USA. All this while maintaining manageable entry fees.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Founder Elsie Ginsberg at the 8th Annual Macabre Faire Film Festival at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, NY on January 16, 2015.

After 70+ Years, Over 1.2 Million Adoptions, World’s Largest No-Kill Animal Shelter Continues Mission

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LONG ISLAND – When it came time to adopt a dog, my family and I went to North Shore Animal League America. It’s the largest no-kill animal shelter in the world and it is located right here in Port Washington. We adopted the cutest 5 month old “Mutt-i-gree”. He has grown into an 80 pound mush. He is well behaved, adorable and we all love him to death. We have never looked back on our decision to go to North Shore Animal League America.

In 2014 the animal league celebrated its 70th anniversary and to date has adopted out 1.2 million animals. It started as a small grassroots effort rescue group in 1944, with just a garage and a few fenced dog runs. It really started to blossom in the 1960s when Elisabeth and Alex Lewyt got involved. Mr. Lewyt began what became a string of important innovations in animal welfare that continue to this day.

North Shore Animal League North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, New York. Photo credit: North Shore Animal League America.

The two of them operated the shelter like a business. They were aware of the good work the shelter was doing. In those days few organizations were no kill, according to Joanne Yohannan, Sr. V.P. of Operations for the North Shore Animal League America.

“In the 1970s and ‘80s I was working for Animal Control,” Yohannan said. “In 1978 I worked for the ASPCA. North Shore had a Humane Relocation program. They took animals from city shelters that were slated for euthanasia and put them up for adoption. North Shore was one of the first organizations to do that. No one was advertising at the time except breeder and puppy mills. North Shore put an ad in the paper for homeless animals for adoption. 30 years ago this was absurd. The only time people did find their way to the shelter was to get rid of their animals. The pound was a dumping ground. North Shore believed every animal deserves to live and every homeless animal deserves a home.”

North Shore Animal League America 1981 North Shore Animal League America in 1981; A Humble Beginning. Photo credit: North Shore Animal League America.

In 1995 North Shore held its first world wide pet adoptathon. It led the way in high volume adoptions. They had 200 adoptions on a Saturday. To date there have been 300,000 adoptions due to pet adoptathons.

“They advertised and let the world know to come and adopt a pet,” Yohannan said. “A lot of other groups are now doing high volume adoptions. North Shore was the pioneer.”

“People are proud of their rescue animals,” she said. “It’s a crime to buy an animal from a pet store where most of them come from puppy mills.”

Mrs. Lewyt looking at plans Mrs. Elisabeth Lewyt looking at plans. Photo credit: North Shore Animal League America.

When you adopt from the shelter you are saving a life, she said. They aren’t “broken” animals. The reasons they end up in the shelter vary. It wasn’t that they were bad dogs. It could be a family is moving and they can’t take their dog or there is a divorce. If people give up their dog because of behavioral problems we have puppy trainers. There are ways to train the dogs so that you don’t have behavior problems.

If you are looking to adopt and you are not in the Tri-State area, North Shore has 2,000 shelter partners. These partners received a lot of animals after Katrina and other disasters. The shelter also runs National Spay USA where they provide low cost referrals for spaying and neutering.

Once you have adopted your pet you are not left out in the cold. The shelter offers support in Pet Behavior – training classes – a medical center and a grooming department.

“The shelter is still expanding. This year we are in the midst of three capital campaigns,” Yohannan said. “There is the recovery center – where an animal might be isolated if he is ill, a pet wellness center providing affordable healthcare and a second floor is being added to the shelter which will provide a 14,000 square foot addition sponsored by Beth Stern, wife of Howard Stern. It is being called Bianca’s Furry Friends in honor of the Stern’s dog Bianca who passed away. Let’s dedicate the year 2015 to saving a life,” Yohannan said. “Come in to adopt a pet.”

Winter Fete to Benefit Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at the Church Street Tavern in New York City

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NEW YORK, NY – An evening of stars, glamor, great cuisine, cocktails, music, a silent auction and fun for an important cause – to help save children’s lives took place at the Church Street Tavern to benefit the Sloan Ketteing Memorial Cancer Center for their Pediatric Unit on Thursday December 11, 2014.

A-listers and glamorous guests attended this wonderful event entitled Winter Fete including: TV Personality Rita Cosby, Actress Julianne Michelle, Actor Dominic Chianese and Actor Larry Romano. The event was hosted and Chaired by Actress Julianne Michelle, Vice-Chair Joycelyn Engle, Chih-Chin Sun and Auction Chair: Emily Hunt

Winterfete Actress and Chair Julianne Michelle (left) who helped coordinate the event with TV Personality Rita Cosby.

I sat down with Actress and Chair Julianne Michelle who helped coordinate the event.

Tell my audience some of the more important people who are attending this event tonight.

Julianne: So far we have Tina Louise here, Larry Romano from “King of Queens” is on his way, Jennifer Esposito is confirmed to attend and Dominic Chianese from the “Sopranos,” Steven Baldwin I believe. There is quite a few.

Quite a few people giving their support. This is a wonderful cause for Sloan Kettering.

Julianne: I think all of us have been touched by Cancer in some way.

 I have, that is why I am here tonight. I had Breast Cancer.

Julianne: Oh, you did.

Yes about a year ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer. I am very lucky. Anything that is about Cancer, I am there and I support it.

Julianne: Cancer is the number two killer in the United States. We all have stories and have been touched in a personal way by it and even though tonight’s event focuses on Pediatric Cancer Research, we are acknowledging all of those who have battled Cancer. My late godmother just recently passed away not too long ago from Cancer. It’s always a struggle to see someone like that suffer, someone who had poise and grace, someone I always looked up to but I still look up to her everyday. I think her spirit is with us tonight. I am so honored to be supporting such an important cause and we are doing our best to fund raise for them. Hopefully we have some great auction items and people will bid with open hearts.

Tell my audience where we can go to participate, contribute and support. What is the website.

Julianne: If you Google Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center you will find their website and you can find ways of getting more involved.

Julianne Michelle was nominated three times for “Best Actress” in a feature film and TV series, and winner “Best Actress” for the feature film, “The House Is Burning”. She was nominated for “Best Actress Under Age 10” for the movie, “Family Prayers”…Youth in Film Awards, Los Angeles. The film also starred Joe Mantegna, Paul Reiser, Anne Archer and Patti LuPone. Julianne was nominated for “Best Actress in a TV Series” for “Bus No. 9”. She starred as a series regular. She was also nominated for her guest star appearance on “Who’s The Boss?” starring Tony Danza. …Youth in Film and Young Artists’ Awards, Los Angeles. December 2006, she won “Best Actress” award for “The House Is Burning” directed by award-winning director, Holger Ernst and produced by Win Wenders at the Flash Foundation’s Young Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland. This feature film was filmed in the United States and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She recently won the award for Best Actress for “Awakened” Audience Choice Awards Oct. 20, 2013. The feature film “Awakened” is written, produced and co-directed by Joycelyn Engle.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Actress Julianne Michelle, TV Personality Rita Cosby and Actor Larry Romano from “King of Queens” at the Winter Fete to Benefit Sloan Kettering Memorial Center at the Church Street Tavern in New York City

I also spoke to TV Personality Rita Cosby who came by to give her support. Rita is a television news anchor and correspondent, radio host, and best selling author. She recently was Special Correspondent for the CBS syndicated program Inside Edition, specializing in interviewing news-makers and political figures.

It has been a while since we met out in the Hamptons at the American Heart Association. Tell my audience why you are a big supporter of tonight’s event.

Rita: You know what, it is very personal to me Cognac. My mother in her final months, she was treated at Sloan Kettering. My mother unfortunately was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. It is an amazing hospital. They took such amazing care of my mother. I am always eternally grateful and I always think about when my mother was in her final months she would see young kids with Cancer being wheeled down the hall. When she realized that she had an amazing life, she would be praying as well as I. When I heard this event was for the Pediatric Center at one of the greatest hospitals in the world, I said “I have to be here to support them.” It’s Christmas time, it’s Holiday time and the greatest gift is to give back and to help a great place like Sloan Kettering.

RitaCosbyandCognacRita Cosby and Cognac Wellerlane at Winter Fete to Benefit Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at the Church Street Tavern in New York City on Thursday December 11, 2014.

Actor Larry Romano from “King of Queens” sat and talked about the event and why he decided to share his support. Larry Romano was a regular on “NYPD Blue” and the sitcom “The King of Queens,” on which he played “Richie Iannucci”. He also played First Base in the motion picture “Lock Up: with Sylvester Stallone. He had a lead role in the short-lived NBC sitcom “Kristin” as Aldo Bonnadonna with Kristin Chenoweth, though the sitcom only aired 6 episodes, before being canceled. Romano made a cameo appearance in “Out for Justice.” In 1997 he had a brief role playing Al Pacino’s son in “Donnie Brasco” and appeared in the 1998 Terrence Malick film “The Thin Red Line.” His most recent acting work was in 2014 film “Laugh Killer Laugh”

I am here with this very important celebrity who is a big supporter of tonight’s event. Introduce yourself to the camera.

Larry Romano: Hello, Larry Romano. You know me from “King of Queens,” “Donnie Brasco,” “Lockup,” and “The Thin Red Line” and I am here helping them raise money for this wonderful cause. The bottom line is that it’s terrible to have kids with Cancer you know. It’s a sad day to see these little kids who will never get a chance of having any life at all. Their suffering and they are going through all this pain and it’s something that keeps you up at night thinking about how lucky you are and how unfortunate others are so the least we can do is be here tonight.

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Filmmaker Brian Mehling and Owner JB at the Church Street Tavern for the Winter Fete to Benefit the Sloan Kettering Memorial Center

Honorary Celebrity Committee included: Steven Bauer, Larry King, John Savage, Billy Bob Thornton

Host Committee: Melissa Berkelhammer, Rita Cosby, Jennifer Esposito, Jeffrey Jacobs, Dodie Kazanjian, Chanel Korby, Kloe Korby, Dan Ladner, Chris Larson, Lauren Lawrence, Tina Louise, Mrs. Frank Perdue, William Quigley, Nick Raynes, Sean Stone, Tad Tomkins, Michael Travin, Felicia Wong, Sophia Young

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the world’s oldest and largest private institution devoted to prevention, patient care, research and education in cancer. Its scientists and clinicians generate innovative approaches to better understand, diagnose and treat cancer. MSK’s specialists are leaders in biomedical research and in translating the latest research to advance the standard of cancer care worldwide.

For more information please visit www.mskcc.org

Insatiable Eats’ Citizens 4 Humanity: Because Serving People Delicious Meals Just Wasn’t Enough

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(Long Island, NY) Five star chef Marco Barrila, who cooks for clients, high profile people and celebrities alike, has cooking in his blood. He comes from a long line of restaurateurs.

“I love cooking because it makes people happy,” he said.

His company, Insatiable Eats Catering, which he runs with his wife Sheila, offers gourmet food for those looking to enjoy it in the comfort of their home. But serving people delicious meals wasn’t enough for the Barrilas. They wanted to give something back to the community; and that’s exactly what they have done through Citizens 4 Humanity.

c4h_-_volunteersFive star chef Marco Barrila, center, with Volunteers helping do the side dishes.

Through their charity, which was formed about five years ago, the Barrilas donate fully prepared gourmet meals to single parent families in need on the North and South Fork.

“I came from a single mom family of six,” Sheila Minkel Barrila said. “Single moms make up about 42% of the population on Long Island. A lot of single moms are struggling. Some don’t have any support at all.”

The organization also helps single dads, as well as other families in crisis. But its focus is on single parent families.

November_2010_001 Trays of lasagna bolognese chef Barrila served at Christmas last year.

Community Centers and School Districts provide names of families that need food and other things for the holidays, Sheila Minkel Barrila said.

“We prioritize the families as far as who has the most need,” she said. This is because the charity is a small organization and doesn’t receive large corporate sponsorship. They get meats, poultry, produce and pies donated from local farms. The rest is through donations by individuals.

“Last year we had a list of 62 families,” she said. “We were only able to feed 18.”

MarcoTurkeyMarco Barrila’s Heritage Turkey that he carved.

The Barrilas and an army of volunteers bring trays of food, including turkey, chicken, ham, potatoes, veggies and pies to needy single parent families starting on Thanksgiving Eve and going straight through Christmas.

“We don’t send raw food because some people don’t know how to cook it and others don’t have time. They get a delicious holiday meal from a five star chef and they love it,” she said.

This year the group has about 100 names. “Whoever we can’t feed we’ll send to other services like soup kitchens and churches,” she continued.

The Barrilas are also the only designated company on the East End that’s a first responder for the Red Cross. So, for instance, during Hurricane Sandy they put together food and people to prepare sandwiches and hot meals at shelters.

delivering FoodYear round volunteers delivering food.

“We would like to feed more families,” Sheila Minkel Barrila said. A donation of $50 feeds a family of 2-4. A donation of $100 feeds a family of five or six with teens.

The organization needs to raise $7,500 to feed all 100 families. So far they have raised just $700.

The answer to why they do it is simple.

“I love to see people’s faces when we open the door and present them with a beautiful meal,” Sheila Minkel Barrila said. “It’s very touching.”

“How can we enjoy our holidays when we know there are so many people out there that need to be fed?” Marco Barrila said. “We do our part to help make a difference.”

Farms that donate are: Schmidt’s Market in South Hampton, Finks Farm in Wading River, Satur Farm on the North Fork, Briermer Farms in Riverhead, Cromers Farm in Sag Harbor, Green Thumb Farm in Watermill and Miloski Farm in Calverton.

They have also received gift certificates from King Kullen and Stop ‘N’ Shop both in Hampton Bays. They received a $500 from the people at Wells Fargo Bank, collected by Christine Turtale and four other individual donations.

To make a donation go to www.citizens4humanity.org or send a check to PO Box 556, Hampton Bays, NY 11946

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