Long Island Giving Help Together For Charity is my column where I shine a light on a different Long Island-based charity each month.
For this column, I focus on The Helping Hands Foundation. The Helping Hands Foundation is a not-for-profit organization and branch of L.I. Adventureland that supports the Long Island community by increasing awareness about local issues, supporting local initiatives, and providing educational resources for community residents.
The Helping Hands Foundation was founded in 2013 by Tony Gentile, one of the founders of L.I. Adventureland. The Helping Hands Foundation has raised over $ 2.1 million for Long Island.
In fact, since 2003, The Helping Hands Foundation has provided over $397,000 in scholarships, $850,000 in grants and in-kind support pledged to Long Island non-profits, and $140,000 in supplies donated to local schools.
The Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, Island Harvest, Stony Brook Child Life, Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism, the Town of Babylon Food Pantry, and others have all been recipients of The Helping Hands Foundation’s services.
The Helping Hands Foundation honors the special legacy of Vivian and Tony Gentile by awarding scholarships annually to Long Island students through its Vivian and Tony Gentile Scholarship Program.
In 2026, The Helping Hands Foundation will award $65,000 in scholarships to high school seniors who will be attending college as full-time students on Long Island.
In order to be eligible for a scholarship, an applicant must be a current high school senior at a Long Island school, must be a full-time student in the fall of 2026 at a college or university on Long Island, must submit a scholarship application and any other required materials by July 17, 2026.
For the application and more information on this program, you can visit The Helping Hands Foundation’s website at: https://helpinghandsli.org/tony-gentile-memorial-scholarship-fund/.
Each September, The Helping Hands Foundation hosts a night of unlimited food, unlimited rides, and unlimited fun at L.I. Adventureland in Farmingdale.
This is an exclusive, limited-ticket event to celebrate what the foundation has accomplished, as well as support programs that address the needs of Long Island.
Next year’s event is scheduled to take place on September 11, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and tickets and group packages are only available by advance reservation. For ticketing and more information, please contact Caitlin at Caitlin@HelpingHandsLI.org.
You can get involved with The Helping Hands Foundation in several ways to support the Long Island community. There are many ways to contribute, such as donating directly to The Helping Hands Foundation. Another fun way to help is to donate a brick or carousel horse at L.I. Adventureland.
For more information, you can visit the foundation’s website at www.helpinghandsli.org.
Kayla Donnenfeld is a senior at Roslyn High School
