The American Red Cross on Long Island will hold its annual Red & White Dinner Dance, Tuesday, June 18, at Carlyle on the Green at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale.
In addition to raising funds for the nonprofit, the Red Cross will honor The New York Racing Association,Inc., for its support and generosity during Superstorm Sandy, and its tireless commitment to helping those in need in the community.
When Sandy hit, NYRA donated the use of its parking lot at Aqueduct Racetrack to the Red Cross to operate a mobile feeding kitchen and relief supplies staging area. From the site, tens of thousands of warm meals were prepared, loaded onto vehicles and delivered to hard-hit communities across Queens and Long Island, for nearly four months.
“We are so grateful to the New York Racing Association for its continued support,” said John Miller, chief executive officer of the Long Island Red Cross. “Sandy was the largest disaster response in the past five years, and we could not have responded alone.”
In addition to the use of its property, the Red Cross was recognized at NYRA’s Spirit of Giving Weekend, at Aqueduct, Dec. 8. Following a race named in honor of the Red Cross, a generous contribution was presented to the Long Island Red Cross. NYRA’s history of support through the years has also included fundraising efforts at Saratoga, following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks (Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course) through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business, which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy.
While the event will pay tribute to NYRA and others who helped during Sandy, the funds raised will help the Red Cross prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies across Long Island, the nation and the world.
“Our volunteers respond to thousands of disasters that will never grab headlines, like single-family home fires,” Miller said. “Yet for the person who has lost everything—possessions, memories, maybe loved ones – a fire is just as devastating. Events like the Red and White Dinner Dance are vital to our daily work.”
Leeana Karlson, Morning Show Co-Host on KJOY/98.3, will be the mistress of ceremonies for the evening. Attire is cocktail. Sponsorship packages and tables are still available, as are online journal ads. Individual tickets are $500 and include a cocktail hour beginning at 6 p.m., followed by the awards program, dinner and dancing.
The event is being presented by The New York Racing Association.
To date, additional major sponsors include: Winthrop-University Hospital; Casual Home Worldwide; The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of NY, Inc.; Premier Benefit Plans, Inc.; Rallye Auto Group; Connoisseur Media Long Island; and Richner Communications, Inc.
To purchase tables, ads and tickets visit www.redwhiteLI.org. For more information, call (516) 747-3500, ext. 208.
