Greetings Tildenites!
Saturday’s Toys for Tots may have been the most successful yet. With a sold-out house, guests were entertained by jazz musician extraordinaire Adam Smale. Adam led the 75+ attendees in a beautiful rendition of “God Bless America” to start off the afternoon; what followed was a delicious meal and amazing conversations. There was so much activity inside that many people didn’t notice the SantaCon mobs roaming the street, trying to come in and join the festivities. (Special thanks to Lou and his crew for keeping the red-capped carousers at bay!)
We were joined by Borough President Gale Brewer and State Senator Brad Hoylman, as well as the leadership of GSID, the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club, and the Lexington Club, and numerous judges, judge-elects and future judges. Of special note was Tilden’s own Lyle Frank, who will be inducted as a Civil Court Judge on January 14.
The room took time to pause and remember our dear friends District Leader Charles Buchwald and Tildenite Genevieve Cervera. They are deeply missed and we honor them for their service to the community and Democratic ideals.
During the afternoon, Tildenites took part in a straw vote, endorsing Hillary Clinton for President. The Club will hold an official endorsement vote at our January 21 Annual meeting.
Before the dessert course, Tilden presented a $2,000 check to Children of Bellevue’s Reach Out and Read and the H.E.L.P. Project. Claudia Aristy, Director, received the check on behalf of the Project and described its programs and how the donation would be used to buy more multi-language books for the children. Tilden is presenting a total of $10,000 to five local organizations for their work.
While the event was scheduled to end at 3, it carried on until close to 5 pm, with guests continuing to socialize to the very end. The entire effort would not have been possible without the dedication of Pat Levenson, Committee Chair, Laura Koestler, Esther Ramos, Sandro Sherrod and Louise Dankberg. On behalf of the Club, I thank you for all your extraordinary efforts.
Again, congratulations to everyone for a wonderful event!
Mark P. Thompson
President
Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club
#1 Club in New York!