Matteo’s of Howard Beach owner, Anthony Amoroso, presented a check for $5,000 to JDRF fundraising chair, Joe Mure, (center) as Angelo Gurino looked on. Patricia Adams/The Forum Newsgroup
The latest fundraising effort by JDRF is a raffle that will find one lucky winner behind the wheel of a 2014 Mercedes Benz CLA-250 for a 24-month lease. Tickets for the car are being sold at $20 each or 6 for $100. The drawing for the car will take place on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at 6 p.m. at the opening of The Little North Pole in Neponsit, located each year at 144-03 Neponsit Avenue.
The event is organized by attorney Joe Mure, who opens his home each year to raise money for JDRF. In addition to being the fundraising chair of the Brooklyn/Queens chapter of JDRF, Mure also has a close personal connection to the disease. Since his son Michael was diagnosed with the disease, Mure has worked tirelessly to spearhead multiple events every year to eradicate juvenile diabetes.
The list of Howard Beach supporters of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) continues to grow among the business community, as well as many individual families who have taken the charity and its cause—to wipe out juvenile diabetes—under their wing. The latest businessman to join the cause is Anthony Amoroso, owner of Matteo’s Restaurant in Howard Beach who hosted a comedy night and auction at the restaurant and recently presented JDRF with a check for $2,000 from the event.
“The amount of support that we get from fundraising efforts like this is overwhelming,” said Mure. “Every dollar is a step closer to saving these children and people in Howard Beach obviously take that very seriously. What they do is phenomenal.”
Amoroso joins the roster of other JDRF benefactors including the DeCandia family who, in conjunction with the International Society for SS Cosma and Damiano has run a tremendously successful Walk for A Cure for the last 5 years raising over half a million dollars since its inception, which began after their son Jacob was diagnosed with the disease. “This is a cause that we will not let up on,” said Doreen DeCandia, not until our son and every other child is no longer threatened by this blight.”
Other Howard Beach business owners share the sentiment; providing continuous support are Angelo and Annmarie Gurino and the entire Gurino family, Ragtime Gourmet and the Russo family of Ragtime Newsstand. “When something like this touches your family, you understand what it means,” Angelo Gurino said. “Most people really have no clue how much danger kids with this disease are in.” And he said, those who become familiar often realize very quickly how much their help means. “This is a disease that we can fight and wipe out,” explains Mure. Recent research developments include an artificial pancreas, which JDRF maintains is part of the success on the horizon. “We’ll get it done,” assured Mure with his signature ear to ear grin—“We got a lot of friends.”
Buy tickets for the 2014 Mercedes Benz raffle at these locations:
On Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach:
• Ragtime Gourmet Supermarket, 157-48
• Ragtime Newsstand at 157th Avenue
• Cross Bay Chemist, 158-14
• Twist It Top It, 158-18
• Lenny’s Clam Bar and Restaurant, 161-03
• Matteo’s Restaurant, 155-10
• Fazio Dance Studio, 164-48
And Also At:
• Dennis Rigas Floral Creations, 115-16 Liberty Avenue
• Cross Bay Chemist, 96-05 101st Avenue
By Patricia Adams
