Irish football team's success helped rekindle Staten Island fundraiser

At the rescheduled Notre Dame Club of Staten Island/Knights of Columbus, Manresa Council No. 2147 event on Jan. 7 are, kneeling from the left, students Danielle Lopez and Joshua Lopez. Standing, holding the flag, are students Derek Halligan and Miguel Lopez. Standing behind the flag are Monsignor James Dorney, Principal Margaret Annunziata and Tara Alleyne-Lopez. Standing, back row, are Joe Delaney, the Rev. Michael Cichon, Ann Broderick and Mike McHugh. ? STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. ? On Saturday morning, Nov. 3, just five days after Hurricane Sandy devastated these shores, Joe Delaney of the University of Notre Dame Club of Staten Island and Mike McHugh of the Knights of Columbus, Manresa Council No. 2147, surveyed the destruction of Manresa Council Hall, located on Cedar Grove Avenue in New Dorp Beach.

As they viewed the devastation of homes and property in the area all around Manresa Council Hall, they thought that their Notre Dame-Pittsburgh fundraiser for St. Peter-St. Paul School, originally scheduled that very Saturday at 3 p.m. and now canceled, would never be rescheduled.

For the past 11 years, the Notre Dame Club and Manresa Council have combined efforts to raise funds to support Catholic education at St. Peter-St. Paul School in New Brighton. In fact, since 2002, the two groups had raised a total of $45,000 for the school.

Joe goes on to explain that the Notre Dame-Pittsburgh football game on Nov. 3 ? won by The Fighting Irish 29-26 in miraculous, come-from-behind triple overtime fashion, a win that continued Notre Dame?s unbeaten season ? allowed both men to dream big and save the fundraiser.

If the Irish finished the 2012 season undefeated, they thought, that might allow them to re-schedule the fundraiser and build the event around a Notre Dame BCS Championship Bowl game on Jan. 7.

?The beneficiaries of a re-scheduled gamewatch/fundraiser would still be St. Peter-St. Paul, but would now include the recently established Manresa Council Re-Building Fund,? Joe added.

Unbeaten Notre Dame did end up playing Alabama for the BCS title on Jan. 7. Almost 200 people showed up at The Hillside Swim Club, Bulls Head, to watch the game and support the fundraiser.

Through a series of raffles and prize drawings, a final combined total of $10,000 was raised to help St. Peter-St. Paul School and The Manresa Building Fund. Proceeds were split evenly between the two.

Joe points out that several Staten Island businesses supported the fundraiser by donating food and services. Special thanks to Jimmy Maxx Pizza?s Jimmy McBratney; Joe Gustivino from Pier 76 Restaurant for a large donation of food, and Ed Thatcher for donating hot dogs, rolls, a sheet cake and milk.

Although Notre Dame lost the game to Alabama, 42-14, Joe states:

?The real winners of the evening?s game were the students of St. Peter-St. Paul School and the K of C Manresa Council, who will re-build their Council Hall.?

Assisting Mike and Joe with the planning and organization of the fundraiser was Notre Dame Club members Bob Griswold, Ann Mulchay, Christine Thomson and Mike Waters.

Assisting from Manresa Council was Judith McHugh, Bob and Nancy Bauer, Andrew Diaz and Jim Neese.

In closing, Joe notes: ?Hurricane Sandy did, indeed, devastate Staten Island. However, Sandy could not defeat the spirit of the Staten Islanders, like the members of the Notre Dame Club of Staten Island and the Manresa Council No. 2174.

?Neither of these two groups would allow a tragedy like Sandy to prevent them from helping the children of St. Peter-St. Paul and restoring a community landmark in New Dorp Beach.?

CELEBRATIONS

The happiest of birthdays today to Anne Lombardi; Allison Warheit; Stu Germain; Johnny Balletto; Carmela (Millie) Lupo, who turns 89, so say her daughters Marilyn Wickert and Patty LaGrotta, and Lisa Ann Paoluccio.

Happy 45th wedding anniversary to Pat and Bob Dalrymple and to Gerri and Marty Collins, friends who were married on the same day in different churches.

Tomorrow is birthday time for Narcy F. Santos, Phyllis Mehl, Hilton Flores, Maria Pacifico, Kelsey Bougadis, Erik Andersen, Amy Andriulli-Guarcello, Kathryn Carse and Jenna Camren Hershkowitz, who?ll celebrate her 8th birthday with a party with her gal pals followed by a party with family members.

Source: http://blog.silive.com/inside_out_column/2013/02/irish_football_teams_success_helped_rekindle_staten_island_fundraiser.html

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