Plans Underway for 2010 Street Fair and 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament
Turnout was high for Floral Park Chamber of Commerce’s spring networking meeting held on the evening of April 7 at TD Bank. An informal gathering, local merchants, village officials and community members networked and exchanged business cards, while enjoying light refreshments. Chamber members also announced plans for 2010 street fairs, as well as upcoming charity and sporting events.
The meeting focused on networking within the community and encouraging support for local businesses. The general sentiment relayed from many of the attendees was that “business was up” from last year. One restaurant owner added, “but you always want more; it’s never enough.” Another local real estate agent enjoyed the opportunity to meet and greet her neighbors. “The people in Floral Park are fabulous and are very welcoming,” explained Marie Grant, a real estate agent of Coach Realtors.
Chamber President Salvatore Bonagura spoke to the large crowd about the chamber’s calendar of events. “Our next meeting is May 4 at Jack Duggan’s Pub; it’s a dinner meeting. The meeting after that is the best of the year [at Belmont Park]. It is $45, which includes admission, a program, one drink and a buffet dinner at the Garden Terrace Restaurant, two days before the race on June 3. On June 4, we have our street fair on Tulip Avenue, which is getting better and better each year.” The fair is held from 5-10 p.m. and will feature food and beverages; three live bands; a Belmont Stakes raffle; face painting; an art show; and more. The rain date is June 6.
Bonagura also announced the Floral Park Lions Club 10th annual Mickey Finn Swing into Spring Golf Charity Tournament taking place on Monday, May 17, at North Shore Towers Country Club. Breakfast will begin at 10:30 a.m.; shot gun start at noon. The day will feature team and individual competitions; course refreshments; a cocktail hour and dinner and drinks, raffles and a trophy presentation. This year’s charity is The Guide Dog Foundation.
Scott Cushing, chairman of the 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, was on hand to speak about the program and asked for support from the local community. “One of things I helped create, about seven years ago, was a basketball tournament,” he said. “Why do we do it? It’s a community development program. We have 2,300 children participate and walk through that day.”
The 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will be held on July 9 at Dutch Broadway School in Elmont and will feature many participants from Floral Park schools. “It’s a positive day,” he said. “There are business opportunities, too. Every single thing we do with this tournament we do it in Floral Park, Franklin Square, Elmont and Valley Stream. If you would like to participate in any way, we’d love to have you,” Cushing stated. He also said donations and sponsors are also needed.
For more information on upcoming chamber events, visit www.floralparkchamber.org.
