FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Uniondale Neighborhood Center Doubles Its Space, Kicks Off Next Phase of Fundraising Push Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Annual Summer Cookout Slated for August 21st

It’s been a banner year for the Uniondale Neighborhood Center —and things are heating up even more as UNC kicks off its latest fundraising push with a summer cookout and ribbon cutting ceremony next month co-sponsored by Uniondale Community Council (UCC).

Having received a $500,000 grant from the New York State Assembly late last year, UNC has used part of the sum to purchase a crucial property at 806 Jerusalem Avenue—bringing Uniondale and UNC one step closer to building a community center on Jerusalem Avenue. The new property —which includes a house on three-quarters of an acre of land— is adjacent to UNC’s grounds at 800 Jerusalem Avenue. Nearly doubling its size with the acquisition of the neighboring property, UNC will now offer substantially more space to community groups.

New York State Assemblymember Earlene Hooper (AD 18) who represents Uniondale and parts of Hempstead, Roosevelt, and Baldwin was instrumental in pressing the importance of this project in the state legislature and ensuring that funding for the Uniondale Neighborhood Center remained on the agenda. Hooper along with other state and local officials has been invited to cut the ribbon at UNC’s annual cookout on August 21st.

“At this point, we’re closer than ever to seeing the John J. Byrne Community Center become a reality,” says David Greaves, UNC’s President and CEO. The building, named after the late Msgr. John J. Byrne, a beloved pastor at Uniondale’s St. Martha’s Church, will be a vital asset to the community, says Greaves. With large meeting rooms, offices, and recreational facilities, the building will house the Uniondale Community Council’s Youth Project —now operating in the cramped basement of United Methodist Church on Uniondale Avenue.

“We’ve made the most of our basement space at United Methodist for over 15 years,” says Lorraine Danser, who heads UCC Youth Project. “But we’ll be able to reach so many more young people with constructive summer programs, after school activities and learning opportunities once the community center is finally built,” she says.

But, says Greaves, the push to raise funds for the project is far from over. The entire project carries an estimated cost of $7.2 million, so this year’s cookout and ribbon cutting ceremony symbolically represents the beginning of a major round of capital campaigning. UNC plans to host a number of events over the next two years and looks forward to attracting other organizations to utilize the site for their events and activities. With a new 30x40-frame fiesta tent installed on the premises and recent beautification and cleanup the site is ideal at reasonable rates for a range of fundraising and other events. “This is something the community really needs,” says Greaves. “Right now, there is no central place for the youth, adults, and seniors of our community to engage in constructive community-building activities.”

The “Ribbon Cutting Ceremony” will be held at 800-806 Jerusalem Avenue Uniondale NY 11553 on August 21, 2004, 11:00 AM and the “14th Annual Summer Cookout” thereafter at 12:00 PM. For further information on the cookout such as prices for the cookout and advertising, vendor and sponsorship opportunities, please call (516) 564-9005, (516) 485-3388 or (516) 481-1760. Donations or Pledges to their Building Fund are requested.

-Christopher Greaves, Public Relations

CONTACT:
David Greaves
(516) 564-9005