Herricks carnival raises spirits, money

Richard Tedesco

With the help of good weather this weekend,  the Herricks Community Fund Spring Carnival drew large crowds to the annual fundraiser that delights young and old, and helps support a range of activities based at the Herricks Community Center.

“It’s a major fundraiser. Without it, it would make it very difficult to continue to do what we’re doing here,” said Paul Ehrbar, the mayor of Williston Park and co-president of the Herricks Community Fund board of trustees.

At the carnival on a mostly sunny Sunday afternoon, Ehrbar declared the event an unqualified success in its 15th consecutive year.

“We’ve had a good turnout all weekend long,” he said. “A lot of families are here, and a lot of good, clean fun. This is going great today.”

Children and their parents were lined up for the carnival rides that included bumper cars, a merry-go-round, a small dragon roller coaster, a swinging pair of pirate ships and other assorted amusements packed into the parking field at the Herricks Community Center along Herricks and Shelter Rock roads.

A light mid-afternoon drizzle didn’t discernibly dampen the spirits of carnival-goers, particularly the youngsters who thronged the rides and toted stuffed animals won at the usual array of carnival games.

“I grew up in the area,” said Tom Tolentino, a Herricks High alumnus who said he brings his two children, Thomas and Claire, to the carnival each year. “I live in Manhattan. My mom calls me every time it comes up.” 

First-time carnival-goer Caroline Tartaro, a New Hyde Park resident, said her family was having a “wonderful time,” particularly her two children, who were winning prizes at the booths.

“This is a very good one,” she said. “The children are feeling it’s a good thing.”

Herricks community activist Jonai Singh was also upbeat about the weekend’s festivities outside the community center.

“It’s a great community event. It’s something the community looks forward to every year,” Singh said.

The funds raised by the carnival help sustain senior citizens groups, the Alzheimers group, the Herricks Community Players theater group and the Herricks Youth Council, which maintains student groups at the high school and middle school.

The carnival also enables teachers in the Herricks School District to apply for mini-grants not covered by the school district budget, according to Ann Tountas, a trustee of the Herricks Community Fund, who said the carnival draws in a “considerable amount” of revenue each year.

This year, she said 2,400 tickets at $20 apiece were sold in advance of the carnival’s start on Thursday night. Tickets purchased at the carnival cost $30 for access to all the rides for one day.

Ridgewood Saving Bank provided support as corporate sponsor for the event, a role it has played consistently for the past several years.

In recent years, Tountas said the funds have helped purchase digital cameras for the high school and digital recording equipment for the elementary schools.

It has also provided funds for purchase of the electric signs at the community center and the high school used to publicize events. Carnival revenues also enabled refurbishment of the community center theater and the building’s lobby in recent years, Tountas said.

“The [community] fund is good for the community. It helps the quality of life for people of all ages,” she said.

The carnival itself also provided a good way for community members of all ages to enjoy themselves, as they have done for the past 15 years, ever since former Town of North Hempstead Councilman Tony Dorso first suggested it. Dorso was involved in running the annual festival that the Sons of Italy Cellini Lodge in New Hyde Park puts on in Michael J. Tully Park.

“It’s a way to bring the community together,” Tountas said. “And the money goes back into the community.”

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