Golfers from some of the community’s most notable businesses and civic organizations hit the links “fore” a great cause on Monday, June 9 as the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn (FIAO) welcomed close to 200 supporters to its 16th annual golf outing at Dyker Beach Golf Course.
Though rain was in the forecast for much of the day, the storms held off long enough for participants to enjoy comfortably cool temperatures and complete their turn on the course to raise funds for Il Centro Community Center, which provides social services, health and wellness programs, swimming, sports, arts and culture for children and families “on the avenue” at its state-of-the-art facility at 8711 18th Ave.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Golf Committee Chairman and FIAO Vice Chairman Frank Naccarato told a capacity crowd as tee time approached. “It looks like it’s going to be a great day on the course after all.”
Naccarato served as the emcee for the post-golf awards ceremony, during which he and FIAO Chairman Jack Spatola honored two individuals for their tireless commitment to the community.
Dr. Alexander Arroyo, director and vice chair of pediatric emergency medicine at Maimonides Health, was recognized for being “instrumental in the formation of the pediatric trauma center in Maimonides Medical Center — the only accredited leveled trauma center in Brooklyn for children.”
Dan Carbonella, a partner at Daszkowski, Tompkins, Web & Carbonella P.C., was also recognized for serving the community as a little league baseball coach. He was described as “a proud Italian American [who] embraces his roots with deep appreciation, weaving them into family traditions and everyday moments.”
Among the notable business and civic organizations represented at the event were the Ben-Bay Kiwanis Foundation, Inc., the Rotary Club of Verrazano and the Merchants of Third Avenue Civic Improvement Association, Inc. (MoTA).
Ben-Bay Kiwanis served as a major sponsor of the event, and members showed up in large numbers to support one of their own in Naccarato (a longtime foundation board member) as well as the FIAO and its mission. Foursome members William Bradley, Thomas Aellis, Dr. Stephen Riso and Dr. George Shahin enjoyed the day on the links as well as the dinner program that followed, where they met up with their fellow foundation members, including President Bartolo Allegretti, board members Scott Palma, James Orlando and Albert C. Corhan, Sr., and members Antonio Alaimo and Charles Fabbella.
Members of MoTA’s executive board, including Errol Novello of Empire State Bank and Louis Coluccio of ALC Italian Grocery, attended the dinner program to show support for the FIAO and its programs. Empire State Bank served as a major sponsor of the event, and ALC donated food for golfers to enjoy on the course.
“We are so proud of what you have made this community — as dynamic, as powerful and as united as it is today. Thank you,” Spatola said to the crowd in his remarks.
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