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Fair A treat for charities
Chamber to host 15th annual Culinary Delights
“Who doesn’t like food?” Rosemary Basmajian asked. “Better yet, who doesn’t like to eat for a cause?"
“Culinary Delights is a chance to eat, socialize and raise money for different organizations,” Lyndsey Gallagher added. “Anything involving food and charities is a win!”
For the third straight year, Basmajian and Gallagher are co-chairing the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce’s biggest annual fundraiser, Culinary Delights. For 15 years, the chamber has organized the event with one goal in mind: to raise money for local charitable organizations. Each year, Gallagher said, 25 to 30 local restaurants — and others from across Long Island — offer portions of their best dishes and desserts for attendees to taste. So far this year, she added, 20 restaurants have signed up for the Sept. 25 event, to be hosted by the Carltun in East Meadow’s Eisenhower Park at 6 p.m.
“What’s really unique about this event is that each charity is listed on the back of the tickets,” Basmajian said. “So the ticket holder selects which charity they want proceeds to go to.”
This year, Basmajian and Gallagher selected America’s VetDogs, East Meadow Kiwanis Club’s Kamp Kiwanis, the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society and Nassau University Medical Center’s Pediatric Department.
NUMC has been featured on the ticket for the past 14 years, said Dolores Rome, past chamber president and past event coordinator. The first Culinary Delights was chaired by former President Janine Kelly and John Tufarelli in 2002. The pair headed the event for two more years. Rome then co-chaired the event from 2005 to 2010 with chamber member John Arigo at the Mirage and Glo night clubs, now closed, on Merrick Avenue in Westbury.
“My father bought us tickets to the third Culinary Delights at the [Mirage] Night Club, and I fell in love with the idea,” Gallagher recalled. “Chairing it now for three years in a row is an amazing experience.”
Rome and Arigo hosted the event at the Carltun in 2008, and it has remained there ever since.
“It was such a great feeling when we saw the funds go toward the cause they’re meant to go to,” Rome said. “We got a video from the pediatric department at NUMC showing us the new children’s vein finder they purchased with the funds. Since then, we’ve included the pediatric department on the ticket.”
Basmajian said that Culinary Delights raises funds for different organizations each year. “America’s VetDogs are a wonderful organization that help provide service dogs to our veterans,” she said. “Our own neighbors may be in need of service dogs. This is something that not many people think about.”
Gallagher added that Kamp Kiwanis provides opportunities for children to attend to camp who might otherwise not be able to afford it. “And the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society helps so many autistic children and adults on a daily basis,” she said. “Each organization gives back to our community. You can’t go wrong.”
Frank Camarano Jr., the current chamber president, said that Culinary Delights isn’t about the chamber. “It’s about the community helping us to give back and help others,” he said. “Lyndsey and Rosemary put so much effort into this event each year.”
Tickets are available for $50 at the Empress Diner, at 2490 Hempstead Turnpike; East Meadow Florist, at 2326 Hempstead Turnpike; Century 21 American Homes, at 1586 Hempstead Turnpike; Life Physical Therapy & Wellness, at 2555 Hempstead Turnpike; and NUMC’s Pediatric Department, at 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, 1st Floor. For more information, go to www.eastmeadowchamber.com.
