The Floral Park American Legion will hold its sixth annual Community Recognition Night on Friday, May 10 at the Post, located at 15 Elizabeth Street in Floral Park, at 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served following the ceremonies.

Commander William Corbett said, "The public and families and friends of the recipients are invited to come and join us in honoring individuals who have served our community in various capacities and have made a difference in making our community a better place."

Past Commander Raymond Howell is coordinating the event, assisted by members of the Post who will make presentations. Awards will be given posthumously to the firefighters and paramedics who heroically gave their lives in the line of duty on Sept. 11 at the World Trade Center, helping save thousands of other people. These are the first posthumous awards the Post has ever given out.

Keith Fairben, a lieutenant in Reliance Engine Company #2 of the Floral Park Volunteer Fire Department who was at the scene as a New York Presbyterian Hospital paramedic; Robert Regan, a lieutenant with a New York Fire Department rescue company who was very active in youth sports activities in Floral Park; and Charles Mendez, a New York City fire fighter, will all be honored.

Floral Park volunteer firefighter Bob Wisniewski, a retired New York City fire fighter, will receive the Outstanding Service Award for his work as a volunteer. He is a member of the Alert Company. Other awards will be presented to Gebhardts Restaurant for their spontaneous donation of thousands of sandwiches for the rescue workers at the World Trade Center.

Stutzmann & Sons Funeral Home will be honored for their patriotic efforts each Memorial Day in bussing local residents to Calverton National Cemetery and providing flags to be placed on each grave of the fallen veterans.

Colleen Sweeney will be recognized for her years of flying the American flag each day in front of her home and Matthew Sweeney of Triple Crown Plumbing Service will be recognized for his outstanding support of the American Legion in installing a new handicapped bathroom on the first floor of the Legion Post.

Floral Park Police Benevolent Association Officers Kim Scanlon, John Donnelly, Mike Saville and Sergeant Ron Gagliano will be recognized for their fundraising efforts for the Floral Park Spirit Fund, which provided assistance to the Floral Park and Bellerose families of fire and rescue personnel who died on Sept. 11.

Floral Park Police Commissioner Mike Reid will also be recognized for his service. A special Law Enforcement Award will be presented to Floral Park Police Officer Chris Egan for his police work in the community. Steven Lane of Devon Architects will be recognized for his support of the American Legion.

Each month members of the Floral Park American legion and the Legion Auxiliary go to St. Albans Veterans Hospital and provide homemade cakes, coffee, bingo games, prizes, gifts and companionship for the hospitalized veterans. The Post will recognize four volunteers, including Scotty Beetle, Eileen Malone, Rose Quaderer and Clara Ratto, who have been steadfast in their support and attendance at these evening sessions for many years.

They all have assisted the Post each year with the annual dinner and entertainment that the Post provides for the St. Albans veterans.

The Floral Park American Legion was founded in 1919 and promotes good citizenship and patriotism and seeks to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation, to promote peace and goodwill on earth, to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy and to help veterans and their families in times of need or sorrow. The Post conducts Flag Day, Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies, provides awards to local school children and supports local charitable and youth organizations.