Almost 20 lucky ladies from the Town of Hempstead were "adopted" in honor of Mother's Day by Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray. The supervisor, together with Chateau Briand in Carle Place, hosted a Mother's Day luncheon for the ladies last Friday.

In organizing the event, Murray reached out to local women whose families may not be available to celebrate Mother's Day with them. The lunch guests hail from senior centers throughout the town and were alerted by the centers of the event.

"No mother should be deprived of a Mother's Day celebration, so I decided to host a luncheon for some lovely ladies who didn't have family members available for the occasion," Murray said. "Some of our senior citizens have children who have moved out of town or are unavailable for a variety of reasons. Showing a little caring and kindness can bring a smile to the face of a grateful mom."

The event certainly did bring smiles to the women's faces, who were very grateful to the supervisor for hosting the event.

"The Town of Hempstead is wonderful," noted Patricia, a guest from the Levittown Senior Center. "They do everything for the seniors. This is a very, very special day."

The ladies enjoyed a sumptuous lunch consisting of penne a la vodka, tricolor salad, a choice of entrees, fresh fruit, desserts and coffee. They also enjoyed a visit from Vincent P. Michaels, chief operating officer and corporate executive chef of Chateau Briand.

The supervisor offered a champagne toast at the event.

"We thought that it is so important to honor our moms and we know that sometimes our children and our relatives are out of state or have other obligations," Murray said. "Lots of people joined in our idea and thought it was a wonderful idea to honor all of you. Here's to our moms: we love you and we honor you, we owe you a debt of gratitude."

Murray noted that those who were involved with the event, in addition to Chateau Briand, were the East Meadow Florist, Elysia Cosmetics and Temptations of Merrick.

"I want to especially thank the Scotto brothers' organization and the Chateau Briand restaurant for underwriting a delightful Mother's Day luncheon for our guests," she said. "To complete the celebration, East Meadow Florist provided corsages, Elysia Cosmetics donated fragrances and Temptations of Merrick gifted some lovely scarves for the mothers. We truly appreciate the generosity of these local businesses."

Transportation to and from the event was also provided to the guests courtesy of the town.

"Raising children and preparing them to be responsible and productive members of the community is one of the most important functions in the world. I want to thank your moms for all they have done for their children and the Town of Hempstead," Murray said. "This is a great honor for me. These wonderful ladies seem to be having a great time, but I think I'm having the best time. I am happy that we were able to make sure that a group of our senior citizens did not spend Mother's Day alone. Our participants have provided for an unforgettable and very happy day."