The Angela’s House Spring Gala held on March 22 2007 was a huge success. The event was held at the Watermill in Smithtown. The eloquent ballroom was a great backdrop to a spirited evening. This gave our guests a comfortable and enchanting feeling that lasted all night. This evening was extra special because it marked the 15th Anniversary of Angela’s House. Our main Platinum Dinner Sponsor was Active Web Group our heartfelt thanks to Pat Norton and Scott Forde who made this possible.
http://www.activewebgroup.com
The Cocktail hour helped to set the tone for the evening. In the background, guests enjoyed a Powerpoint presentation that had many photos of the kids from Angela’s House. There was a long row of tables that were lined with gifts and baskets for the Chinese auction. There were some amazing items on the table, including items such as I Pods, digital cameras, beauty baskets, Borgota Hotel overnight stay, TV and more.
The presentation started with Bob Policastro thanking our other sponsors Frank Gentile and friends, Dr Anthony and Barbara Policastro, Tom and Lil Pavone, Frank and Kim Scozzari and Sean and Anne Coffey.
Bob also thanked the Gala Committee: Kelly McGrath, Anne Bingham, Pat Gauney, Tara Ficken, Donna Scherl and Cynthia Yablonski. This special evening would not be possible without the hard work of this dedicated group.
This 15-year anniversary is very monumental as we think about everything we have been able to do to help medically fragile children and their families. Bob talked about the 3 children that influenced him to begin the road for this 15-year journey. These children include Angela Policastro, Steven Przystawski and Elizabeth Carlino. These children have since passed away, but they are our guarding angels.
There were great needs for these kids over 15 years ago. Bob read part of a letter he wrote 17 years ago to tell politicians and professionals what his family was going through and the services that were needed to help his daughter who was discharged from a hospital on Long Island and was transferred to a specialty hospital in Connecticut.
His letter shows his love and desperation as he tried to get help for his daughter. Bob then read a letter he recently received about a family going through a similar situation that needed help from Angela’s House. He pointed out that we have done many great things to help children, but we have a long road ahead of us.
Angela’s House presented a DVD that showed two families and how they have been impacted by the work we do. First, a family we assisted them with home care services. The family shared their feeling about the day-to-day life they have caring for their daughter. The other family talked about her love for her son and how her family hit a dead-end when she realized she could no longer care for her son at home when he had to have a trachea. She talked about how Angela’s House has become a home away from home for her son. She talked about the love he gets and the staff that gives of their hearts for these children.
Anne Bingham is the mother of Victoria a beautiful girl that lives at Angela’s house. She spoke about how Victoria is a blessing in her innocents and beauty. She then gave a blessing for the special evening and the children that are no longer with us.
As the dinner was underway, the excitement of the Chinese auction started. The baskets and gifts were amazing and people were very excited as the winning numbers were picked. It was great to see people win and enjoy themselves.
Once the last gift was announced, the music started as people joined together on the dance floor. The music and dancing continued the rest of the evening with brief stops for the dessert bar and the excitement of our last drawing. The final prize drawing was for the 37 inch Plasma TV and an IPOD Video. Audio Interiors of Hauppauge,www.audiointeriors.com, donated the beautiful flat screen TV. This last drawing was very exciting as the winners were called. Many thanks to Audio Interiors for this great donation.
The evening left people with a great feeling and spirit as they realized they were a part of our mission to assist medically fragile children and their families.
