Thanks to generous Long Island chefs and restaurants and faithful supporters of the Michael Magro Foundation, $55,500 was raised during the foundation's third annual Evening of Tasting and Giving, which was held Oct. 2 at the Mansion at Woodlands in Woodbury. The funds will benefit Winthrop-University Hospital's Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center and Winthrop's Cancer Center for Kids.

The Michael Magro Foundation was established by Hicksville residents Terrie and Paul Magro in honor of their son Michael who lost his life to leukemia in July 2004. The Magros' son Marc, who was successfully treated for Hodgkin's disease the same year, is also very active with the foundation in honor of his brother.

This year's Evening of Tasting and Giving was attended by approximately 400 people and featured a special appearance and book signing by Bronx native Ray Negron. Back in 1973, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner caught young Ray spray-painting graffiti on one of the walls of Yankee Stadium, but instead of pressing charges, Steinbrenner made Negron a Yankees batboy. Negron has since enjoyed a career in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing minor league ball and then working for the Yankees and the Cleveland Indians. Now a special adviser to Steinbrenner, Negron is also the author of the popular children's book The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True, which was published by Harper Collins in 2006. His book signing at the Evening of Tasting and Giving generated $2,000 for the Michael Magro Foundation.

The Michael Magro Foundation has donated X-Box game consoles and game cartridges as well as portable televisions with stands to Winthrop so that children in treatment have the opportunity to play games that allow them to relax and escape for a little while, as well as arts and crafts supplies and books. The foundation also provides support and recreational respite to families dealing with childhood cancers by providing gift cards to area movie theatres, restaurants, Blockbuster stores and more in order to enable families to get out.

Earlier this year, the Michael Magro Foundation donated a high-tech, portable VeinViewer Imaging System to the Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center at Winthrop, in order to help healthcare professionals view children's veins more easily, which facilitates more successful experiences with IVs and blood tests.

"We are so grateful for the amazing support of so many people," said Terrie Magro after the event. "PTG Event Services in Hauppauge was a huge asset; they provide the tent and some of the rentals at no charge, and we had beautiful and delicious spreads donated and served by local restaurants, bakeries and wine distributors."

She added, "In addition to the many generous donors and supporters of the foundation, it is extremely heart-warming for my family and I to see so many of Michael's friends from Hicksville High School at the event year after year."

For more information about the Michael Magro Foundation, call Terrie Magro at _633-5341 or visit www.michaelmagrofoundation.com. For more information about Winthrop's Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center and Cancer Center for Kids call 1-866-WINTHROP.