Blessed Sacrament hosting four-day festival this weekend

As way to raise funds and bring parishioners and Valley Streamers together, organizers hope to draw thousands out of their homes to Blessed Sacrament Church for a four-day festival.

The festival will begin on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m., and will continue each evening before closing on Sunday, Aug. 7. Organizer Annette Farragher said parishioners and residents of all ages will be able to enjoy face painting, food, rides, playing games and local entertainment while contributing to church fundraising efforts.

Farragher, who most recently served as the president of the Parents’ Association of the Blessed Sacrament School before its closure, said she cannot recall the last time the church held an event of this size that had something for everyone to enjoy. “We are a large parish and have had social events in the past, but we are always looking for something new to do,” she said. “We want to celebrate the families, both our own and the one at the church.”

Approximately 75 organizers have come together over the course of the year to plan the event, Farragher said. According to Michael Gray, a fundraising leader and the entertainment coordinator of the event, volunteers needed time to do research by reaching out to other parishes so they could better select ride companies and plan out advertising campaigns.

The Rev. Peter Dugandzic, who has been the pastor at Blessed Sacrament for two years, said parishes he has worked in previously held similar kinds of events and that members of the church in Valley Stream seemed very interested in hosting a festival. The pastor said he is grateful for the support and generosity of the volunteers who make up a “vibrant” parish.

“People may not realize it, but about 2,000 people come here for weekend services,” he said. “There is a lot of activity here. I am looking forward to seeing all of the faces of these people.”

Dugandzic said he expects to see thousands of Valley Streamers come to the festival, which will feature entertainers from within the parish and across the village and beyond. Gray said performers will include a Blessed Sacrament jazz band, a 30-person Haitian choir, local Girl Scouts who will be giving a “Glee” based presentation, the Valley Blues Band and three Hispanic musical groups, among others.

Gray, who has also served as a cantor at the church for 17 years, said he is grateful that 30 sponsors helped make the event possible through monetary and other contributions. Parishioner John Petito initially provided the “seed money to get this moving forward,” Gray said.

The financial struggles of the church are on the minds’ of parishioners according to Gray. However, he said while the recent closure of the Blessed Sacrament School and the multi-million dollar deficit facing the church are sad circumstances, he hopes the festival can be a way for people to celebrate things happening within the community.

“When something else dies, something else rises,” Gray said. “We think this is a good opportunity to strengthen up. We asked ourselves when the last time someone crossed the street and said, ‘Hi, I’m from Blessed Sacrament.’ We want to invite people to the church and make it a destination for everyone.”

Dugandzic said the festival will also focus parish’s primary goal. “All of this is to give glory to God,” he said. “This type of event aids that mission. We want to bring the word of God to the faithful in whatever way we can.”