Best time of year for generosity

After what felt like a lifetime, the seniors at the Bay Ridge Center will be able to replace the van that they lost this past March in an accident, thanks to State Senator Martin Golden who secured the funds to pay for a new one.

In a press conference that took place December 17, Golden presented the seniors with a check for $65,000.

The van was totaled when a stolen car being pursued by police plowed into it at Colonial Road and 78th Street, injuring eight seniors and the van driver.

The seniors in the past months have taken part in walkathons and multiple fundraisers, in an effort to get the necessary money, but the amount that they needed far exceeded their efforts. They raised thousands of dollars, with the hope of meeting their goal. More help was needed, however, which is why Golden worked to give the seniors the gift of some new wheels, at the perfect time of the year.

“He’s a man of his word,” exclaimed one excited member, Tony Faiella, who was aboard the van when it was hit. “He’s wonderful!”

Golden said he questioned what could be done and, after having moved some money from the state budget around, he decided to help the seniors replace the totaled van.

“He’s doing a really good thing to us,” said Marianne Nicolosi, executive director at the center. She added. “He cares about the seniors.”

The wheelchair accessible van was utilized as the center’s main means of transportation; after almost a year of waiting, it is soon to be supplanted with a better and newer model.