STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For some kids, lending a helping hand comes almost naturally — especially when parents and other adults set a good example.
A Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) awards brunch scheduled for the fall will honor three adults and 40 children from across Staten Island.
SIBOR President Georgianna Diaz sports a yellow top as she walks the Relay For Life path with her husband, Mike, far right, and others.
Sisters Kristina and Daniella Cangiano far surpassed their goal of raising $5,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Staten Island fund-raising event.
Daniella Cangiano will be an eighth-grader when she steps up to receive the organization’s Shining Star Youth Award.
“They anticipate over 350 people at this event,” said her proud mom, Traci Cangiano, president-elect of the Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR).
Daniella, 12, and her sister Kristina, 9, raised money for last week’s American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay For Life.
The sisters had a goal of raising $5,000 for the event, which took place at Wagner College, Grymes Hill.
During the day, the Cangiano girls sold homemade jewelry and cookies. They ended up collecting $6,139, far exceeding their goal.
CELEBRATING LIVES
The ACS Relay For Life gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.
The Cangiano girls have been raising money for ASC since the beginning of January 2009.
In October 2009, Daniella received a Staten Island Making Strides Against Breast Cancer “Youngest Pacesetter for Strides Award.”
In March 2012, the ACS launched a program dubbed “Recess Relay” as a means of bringing the organization to elementary schools nationwide.
Emmy-winning reporter Magee Hickey of PIX 11 News interviews SIBOR President-elect Traci Cangiano.
After Daniella and Kristina attended the event on Staten Island, they viewed it as a new opportunity for fund-raising, which they wanted to bring to their school, St. Joseph Hill Academy, Grasmere.
Maria Paladino of ACS called St. Joseph Hill Academy to ask permission to run the program. Mrs. Edelman, a teacher, took the reins along with Daniella in getting the project under way.
‘FOOT CARDS’
Within days, small foot-shaped placards with space for a contributor’s name, aka “foot cards,’ were sold; two large billboards were filled with the names of children throughout the school who were ready to participate.
Linda F. Smith, SIBOR director of membership and co-chair of ACS of Staten Island, suggested the girls fill a water bottle with dimes, which equates to roughly $100.
In fewer than 30 days, 16 classrooms began following Mrs. Smith’s suggestion.
EMPIRE BANK PITCHES IN
Phil Guarnieri, SIBOR’s only non-Realtor board member, and CEO/president of Empire State Bank, provided services to count the dimes.
“We delivered on our message: ‘Banking the way you remember,’” Guarnieri said.
The bankers initially counted 29,500 dimes, translating to $2,950.
The day before the Relay fund-raiser, the sisters and their mom headed back to Guarnieri’s Empire State Bank branch.
Once again, the eager-to-assist tellers counted a bottle filled with dimes, this time totaling $88.
Adding to the excitement, the kids were interviewed by Magee Hickey
of WPIX 11 at the event, and the segment aired on Sunday’s 6 p.m. news.
They also were interviewed by NY1, and that aired as well.
“It was a great day; they came home exhausted, and are already making plans to bake for more cookies for next year’s relay,” Ms. Cangiano said.
About The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)
The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest not-for-profit trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.
SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically; and to promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.
Comprised of over 1,600 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas.
SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 3,000 real estate transactions every year.
All SIBOR members belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
All SIBOR members belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
SIBOR may be reached at 718-928-3220 and viewed online at http://siborrealtors.com. SIBOR may also be visited on Facebook at “Staten Island Living,” on Twitter via @SIBOR, and on YouTube at the Staten Island Board of Realtors and RelevantPR channels.
Media Contact:
Relevant Public Relations, LLC
Headquarters: 718‑682‑1509
Mobile: 917‑715‑8761
Email: Bhorowitz@RelevantPR.com
