Rockville Centre Lions Club announces third Dinner in the Dark

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The Rockville Centre Lions Club’s third annual “Dinner in the Dark” fundraiser will be held on Friday, May 2, from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at the Rockville Links Country Club in Rockville Centre.

A donation of $125 per person includes a cocktail and appetizer hour and three-course meal and dancing, with music provided by the band “Sound Chaser,” sponsored by Entertainment Unlimited. The dinner is designed to give each guest an opportunity, in a controlled setting, to experience the challenges of participating in a simple dinner for those with visual impairment by blindfolding them while they eat.

This year, the Lions Club announced two “Dinner in the Dark” honorees: Catherine Tully Muscente and Michael A. Caffrey. Each have served the Rockville Centre community in valuable ways, and are being honored for their spirited leadership, dedication and support of numerous charitable and cultural endeavors, enriching our community, and helping our neighbors.

Muscente is Director of Development at Molloy College, and since 2009 has spear-headed the development of the Irish Studies Institute. She joined Molloy in 1997. Heavily involved in the local Long Island community, she is currently the 2014 Chair of Philanthropy Day hosted by the local Association for Fundraising Professionals; is on the Board of Directors for the Nassau County Youth Board; serves on the board of the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade Committee; and is a committee member for a number of local events including the Rockville Centre Mayor’s Enchanted Winterland. Muscente has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal from the president of Molloy College and was honored in 2012 by Irish Americans in Government.

Caffrey has been an active participant in the community since moving to Rockville Centre in 1997. An involved member of the Lions Club, he became one of the original founders of the Rockville Centre Youth Council in 2008 as a way to proactively respond to a rise in social issues among high-school youth in Rockville Centre. As Vice Chair for the Youth Council, he was integral in introducing the Student Lifeline Card, providing teenagers with a safe way home when faced with dangerous and threatening situations. He also helps to provide alternative “Safe Nights,” social events helping to unite teens in fun, wholesome activities with safe environments and programming to highlight the dangers of substance abuse. Caffrey has been a member of Local 1 Stagehands Union and ETPC Certified Entertainment Electrician for more than 20 years. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Madison Theatre at Molloy College.

A portion of the proceeds of the Third Annual Dinner in the Dark will benefit the Molloy College Capital Campaign and the Rockville Centre Youth Council, as well as numerous other Rockville Centre Lions Club charities. This year’s Dinner in the Dark Co-Chairs, Joan MacNaughton and Jeanne Mulry, hope you will join in honoring these two distinguished honorees. Please call 516-857-1366 or visit www.rvclions.com for more information, or to make a reservation. Journal and sponsorship opportunities are also available, and donations are being accepted for the Basket Raffle.