The Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District’s (BID) 31st Annual Great Neck Plaza AutoFest and Street Festival sponsored by United Capital Corp., the Village of Great Neck Plaza and the Business Improvement District will be held on Sunday, Oct. 4, from noon to 4:30 p.m. More than 100 classic and special-edition automobiles will be on display. This year, the feature showcase car will be a limited edition, 1934 Rolls Royce Park Ward Saloon, owned by Mark Rudes. Also returning this year is the one-of-a-kind 1926 Stutz “Speedster,” built for Cornelius and Grace Vanderbilt.
For the third consecutive year, the Great Neck Plaza BID will be donating all AutoFest registration fees to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to those men and women of our armed services injured while in service to our country. In addition, festival attendees will have the opportunity to donate to the organization. Individuals contributing $15 or more will receive a special edition commemorative Wounded Warrior/AutoFest event hat. Wounded Warriors seeks to raise awareness about the needs of the injured, help injured service members assist each other and provide direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.
In an effort to expand fundraising on behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project, the BID is extending its drawing for Plaza Bucks certificates to all who make a contribution, of any amount, to the Wounded Warrior Project. Individuals can become eligible for the drawings by making their donation at the festival prior to the drawing at 2 p.m. The Plaza Bucks raffle drawing will have three (3) winners: first place, $300; second place, $200; and third place, $100 towards any merchant, store or restaurant in Great Neck Plaza.
Assisting with the fundraising efforts will be Port Washington resident Thomas Sullivan, who will be displaying his 1951 Dodge M-37 Military Power Wagon. Sullivan is a retired member of the marine division of the New York City Fire Department. He was the initial first responder to the Hudson River crash of US Airways Flight 1549 in January 2009.
“We continue to host this festival because of the opportunities it presents for our local businesses and the community spirit it engenders. It is also gratifying to be able to support such a worthy organization as Wounded Warriors for a third year”, said Jay Corn, Great Neck Plaza BID vice president and AutoFest Committee chairperson. “We look forward to welcoming back the thousands of visitors who attended last year and also doing our part
to contribute to the Wounded Warriors cause.”
Michael Lamoretti, president of United Capital Corp. and Great Neck Plaza BID board member added, “Every year, we support the BID’s AutoFest because it is a unique way for us to give back to our community. It is great to see members of the Great Neck community and people from the entire metropolitan area come together to enjoy the day.”
The Great Neck Plaza BID’s mission is to foster and promote a positive and vital business community through various initiatives including consumer awareness programs, media/advertising campaigns and sponsorship of many events including the Annual Great Neck Plaza AutoFest and Street Festival. The daylong event draws a crowd of tens of thousands and features live entertainment, rock climbing walls, a petting zoo, carnival games and inflatable bouncers and showcases the sights, sounds and flavors of Great Neck Plaza. Log onto www.shopgreatneck.com or call 516-829-1301. To learn more about the Great Neck Plaza BID and this year’s AutoFest and Street Festival, call 516-829-1301.
