While tens of thousands of homes remain without power on New York’s Long Island more than two weeks after Hurricane Sandy pummeled the Northeast, Active Interest Media’s Marine Group is working with a local New York restaurant to provide Thanksgiving dinner to people in need.
In partnership with event organizer Swingbellys BBQ, a restaurant on the barrier island of Long Beach, the AIM Marine Group is participating in and promoting a plan to assist in feeding more than 5,000 people on Thanksgiving Day.
“For me, I fondly remember growing up and going to Long Beach and enjoying this beautiful coastal community with my family,” Marine Group vice president and group publisher Gary DeSanctis wrote in an open letter to friends, colleagues, family and readers. “The mere thought of so many of our marine enthusiasts that reside in Long Beach not being able to enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner is more than upsetting and something I cannot stand idly by and watch.”
The AIM Marine Group is composed of PassageMaker, Power & Motoryacht, Sail, Soundings, Soundings Trade Only, Yachts International, Show Management and BoatQuest.com.
Click play for a look at Hurricane Sandy’s effect on Long Beach.
Organizers are asking anyone who is interested to join a volunteer crew on Thanksgiving to help with a feast to be held at the Long Beach Arena on 150 West Bay Drive.
“With your help, the tremendous volunteer network of our partner organizations and the cooking capacity of both our Lynbrook location and mobile concession setup, we hope to restore a happy Thanksgiving holiday to hundreds of families in Long Beach,” reads a message on the Swingbellys website. “Whatever help you can offer by way of a donation to our cause … is more appreciated than we could ever express in words.”
The restaurant is owned by Sean and Kelly Sullivan.
For information on volunteering, visit Swingbellys BBQ’s Facebook page; the websites of partner organizations Skudinsurf.com, Surfforall.org and LongBeachSurfersAssociation.com; the AIM Marine Group invitation page, featuring a video on the aftermath of Sandy on the beach community; or contact Jen Jones, Marine Group vice president of marketing and events.
