Sunday, April 20, 2025
Members of Scouting America Troop 240 in West Hempstead hosted their annual pasta dinner at the American Legion Hall Cathedral Post 1087 on March 16.
The troop’s members also served the dinner, which included all-you-can-eat bread, garden salad, pasta, meatballs, soda, coffee and dessert. The $2,500 raised during the dinner supports the troop’s activities throughout the year.
“This is our big fundraiser for the year, the pasta dinner,” Troop 240 Scoutmaster Nick Hoh said. “We use the funds for equipment, trips, stuff like that. We have a bunch of raffles from all the businesses in the area. We got a lot of great donations.”
By purchasing a ticket, attendees had the opportunity to win a range of raffle prizes, including a signed photo of Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson; two tickets for admission to Hershey Park; four tickets to an Long Island Ducks game, along with a baseball signed by pitcher Rolando Casihis; six tickets to the Long Island Children’s Museum; a New York Giants 2024 collector’s football, and much more.
“We have the Scouts working tonight — they’re the wait staff,” Hoh said, as they were preparing to serve a three-course meal to community members seated around the hall. “They’re helping out, making sure all the tables are taken care of.”
The Gallery Four Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in Lynbrook provided the food.
“It’s a local thing to bring everybody together,” shared former Scoutmaster Joseph Canzoneri Jr. “Our sons aren’t part of the troop anymore — they’ve aged out, but we keep coming back. We all still have a connection to the troop, to support the troop and keep it going.”
Shawn Vogel, whose husband Bill was involved with the Scouts for many years, estimated that the pasta dinner has been an annual tradition for more than three decades.
“It’s a great thing, and there’s delicious food,” Vogel said. “The community supports it. We get to see people we don’t get to see the rest of the year.”
“We get so much support from the community — it’s really, really appreciated,” Hoh said.
Assemblyman Ed Ra stopped by the American Legion Hall to thank members of Troop 240 for their work in the community.
“Anytime there’s a community event, the troop is a big part of it,” he said. “Thank you to everybody who came out to support a really important part of the West Hempstead community.”
