Overwhelming Crowd Packs Leonard's for Funday Reunion

By Margaret Whitely

North Hempstead Town's Commissioner Anne Croce has done it again! She packed the entire ground floor of Leonard's of Great Neck with more than 780 senior citizens from all over the Town of North Hempstead and their guests for a spectacular February Funday reunion held last week.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor May Newburger extols the virtues of Community Services Commissioner Anne Croce as part of her active staff looks on. The staff shown includes: Jimmy Allen, a recent graduate of Hofstra; Joan Kay, Alice McGinty, Donna and Dorothry Muller, Supervisor May Newburger; Commissioner Anne Croce and Director of the 155 East Shore Road facility, Lisa Diana. Other members of the Croce team, not in photo, include: Marie Bonnie, Vinny DeStefano, Carol Murtagh, Eileen Tart, Dave Bradley, Jose Castro, JoAnn Gaddis, Charlie Lang, Harmon Lee, Fred Metzger, Mary Petito, Elaine Strube, Rose Titz, John Doerrbecker and at the Roslyn Community Center Tom Bates and Joe Corcella.

Croce, who is the Commissioner of Community Services arranged for the seniors to be served a delicious sit-down brunch, music was provided for dancing all day, courtesy of Frank Castagna and his wife Rita of Americana fame; prizes of TVs, microwaves, toaster ovens, radios and cameras were donated by Harbor Ridge Senior Housing residence being developed at the Morewood Property and buses were provided, free of charge, to the seniors through the generosity of Larry and Fran Pierce of Pierce Country Day School.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, at the end of the event, Croce had Leonard's pack up individual "brown bags" of extra rolls, butter and jelly to be sent home with seniors.

The seniors had a wonderful day and Croce was commended by both North Hempstead Town Supervisor May Newburger and Deputy Commissioner of Nassau County Senior Citizens, Ralph Caruso who presented Croce with a county proclamation for her tireless, never-ending vigilance in championing the cause of the senior citizens of the Town of North Hempstead.