The Hance Family Foundation will move its headquarters to a storefront on Tulip Avenue in Floral Park, the foundation announced at Tuesday night’s Board of Trustees meeting.
The foundation will take over the spot of the old Floral Park Florists on 130 Tulip. Warren Hance came to the board meeting to make the announcement and thank the board for past support.
“We’re very excited to be moving towards being an additional presence,” Hance said during a presentation at the beginning of the meeting. “It’s a real validation to the work of a tremendous number of people that have really sacrificed time with their own families for the greater good of others.”
In 2009, Hance lost his three young daughters, Emma, Alyson and Katie, who were in the car when their aunt crashed head-on into another while driving intoxicated on the wrong side of the Taconic State Parkway. Eight people were killed in the crash.
Since then, the Hance Family Foundation has served to honor their lives by providing self-esteem programs worldwide and promoting social-emotional learning.
“We’ve made a long-term commitment to being on Tulip,” Hance said. “My goal is to leave Tulip Avenue and the Village of Floral Park as a whole better than when we got here.”
Currently stationed in Elmont, the organization plans to move to the village early in the new year, according to Hance.
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald, along with the board, said he was ecstatic.
“This is awesome news. Every time someone comes before us we always thank them for picking Floral Park,” Fitzgerald said. “Thank you, this is going to be a great addition to our downtown.”
Also at the meeting, Girl Scout Troop 1239 donated a solar energy flagpole to be located in Colonial Gardens Pocket Park on Calla and Mayfair avenues. The donation was part of the requirements for the troop to earn a Silver Award, one of the highest honors awarded.
For sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade Girl Scouts, part of the award involves learning about an issue in the community and figuring out a way to help solve it. Troop 1239 studied solar power and solar lights and their benefit to Long Island communities.
Before accepting the donation, the board needed to pass a resolution doing so, which Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo was more than happy to do. “I am so proud to offer that resolution,” she said.
Fitzgerald said, “Equally am I to accept it too.”
