Waterfront Warriors, Allegria support the troops

“There’s going to be a family atmosphere, and it’s for a great cause,” said James Lynch, an event coordinator for the Long Beach Waterfront Warriors, of the organization’s upcoming “Wrap Party” at the Allegria Hotel on Dec. 11. “It keeps getting bigger and bigger. We honor our troops.”

This year, the Waterfront Warriors and the Allegria Hotel will team up for the third annual Holiday for Heroes Drive — from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the hotel — where care packages will be collected and sent to soldiers overseas and delivered to wounded soldiers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Nassau V.A. Hospital in Northport.

The event is a citywide campaign to bring the holidays to the troops. Lynch said that the effort this year is being made possible with the help of the VFW Lt. John F. O’Grady Post 1384, Long Beach Catholic Regional School, the Magnolia Senior Center and the Allegria Hotel, among others. Over the past two years, he explained, more than 500 care packages have been shipped to solders.

This year, he said, six soldiers and their families will visit Long Beach as the event’s guests of honor. The Allegria, he said, will provide them with a complimentary room and meal for the weekend.

“Nothing comes out of their pockets,” Lynch said. “The Allegria has been a great supporter — they’ve opened their doors free of charge for soldiers. It’s pretty great, given the economic times, for them to give back to the soldiers.”

Lynch said that on Friday soldiers will arrive in Long Beach, and they will visit the Long Beach Catholic Regional School, where students will come together outside and form an honor guard for soldiers. Afterward, students will have the opportunity to meet and greet them. On Saturday, soldiers will head into New York City, where they will visit Rockefeller Center,take in the sights and celebrate a “wholesome dinner together.”

“They’ll be refreshed and ready to go for Sunday,” Lynch said, noting that the visiting soldiers will help wrap packages during the event at the Allegria.

Lynch said that the effort this year will be more focused now on Afghanistan, citing President Barack Obama’s decision to bring all U.S. forces home from Iraq by the new year. What he looks forward to, he said, is the community coming together to support the troops, but also to enjoy the festive Christmas atmosphere.

Children will be able to sip on hot coco, write Christmas cards to soldiers, and help fill up packages. There will also be a special appearance from Santa Claus, who will be escorted on a fire truck to the Allegria Hotel by members of the Long Beach Fire Department and the FDNY motorcycle group Fire Riders. A tree lighting ceremony will commence at the end of the event outside of the hotel, he added.

“When we started this out, it was a small idea,” Lynch said. “Now, it’s something fabulous. We have great support from the people of Long Beach. They come out and meet the soldiers and get involved. Even if they cannot give, they volunteer. It’s pretty incredible.”

Donations may be dropped off until Dec. 9 at the VFW headquarters, at 675 W. Park Ave. between 2 p.m. - 9 p.m. Only new items are being collected. For more information, please visit http://www.lbwaterfrontwarriors.org/