The Lois & Richard Nicotra Foundation awarded nearly $50,000 to “Do Good” on Staten Island during an awards ceremony June 2nd at the Nicotra-operated COMMONS Café, where 100 percent of the profits benefit Staten Island.
Grants are presented both as scholarships to an employee’s child and as assistance to non-profit organizations which benefit the Staten Island community.
Founded in 2011, The Lois & Richard Nicotra Foundation aids non-profit organizations on Staten Island as they help our community, while providing assistance to Lois and Richard’s employees’ children and grandchildren.
Utilizing the COMMONS café as a venue for the grant ceremony is meaningful in that it allows patrons and employees of the café to realize the “Eat Good. Do Good.” motto of the COMMONS cafe, since 100% of the café’s profits benefit Foundation recipients.
Grant recipients included:
- All-Island Kiwanis (Awarded $500)
- AMVETS Post 917 Tamburri Memorial, Inc. (Awarded $500)
- Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theater (Awarded $500)
- Brighton Kiwanis Foundation (Awarded $500)
- Busy Beach Day Care Center (Awarded $500)
- Camp Good Grief of Staten Island, Inc. (Awarded $750)
- Carl V. Bini Memorial Foundation (Awarded $1,000)
- Conference House Association (Awarded $500)
- Council on The Arts & Humanities For Staten Island (Staten Island Arts) (Awarded $1,000)
- Eibs Pond Education Restoration Program (Awarded $500)
- Families Helping Families Resource & Recreation Center, Inc. (Awarded $750)
- Good Counsel, Inc. (Awarded $750)
- Green Technology Club of Tottenville High School (Awarded $750)
- Jewish Community Center of Staten Island (Awarded $750)
- John W. Lavelle Preparatory Charter School (Awarded $1,500)
- Harbor Lights Theatre Company, Inc. (Awarded $750)
- I.S. 27 PTA (Awarded $500)
- Italian American Women of Staten Island, Inc. (Awarded $500)
- Lifestyles For The Disabled, Inc. (Awarded $750)
- Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School (Awarded $500)
- McKee Career and Technical High School Parent Teacher Association (Awarded $500)
- Michael’s Cause Inc. (Awarded $1,000)
- The Minty Organization for the Performing Arts, Inc. (Awarded $500)
- Monsignor Farrell High School (Awarded $500)
- Museum of Maritime Navigation and Communication (Awarded $500)
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Awarded $1,500)
- On Your Mark, Inc. (Awarded $1,500)
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel/St. Benedicta Church (Awarded $500)
- P.S. 13 PTA (Awarded $500)
- P.S. 30 (Awarded $500)
- P.S. 44 The Thomas Brown School (Awarded $500)
- PS 59 The Harbor View School PTA (Awarded $500)
- P.S./I.S. 861 – Staten Island School of Civic Leadership (Awarded $500)
- Richmond County Bar Association (Awarded $1,000)
- Richmond County Youth Complex (Awarded $1,000)
- Richmond Engine Company 1 (Awarded $750)
- Richmond Senior Services, Inc. (Awarded $750)
- Soroptimist International of Staten Island (Awarded $500)
- South Shore Babe Ruth Baseball (Awarded $500)
- South Shore Rotary (Awarded $500)
- Staten Island Community Partnership, Inc (Awarded $500)
- Staten Island Federation of Parent Teacher Associations (Awarded $1,000)
- Staten Island Giving Circle (Awarded $500)
- Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame, Inc. (Awarded $1,000)
- Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre Company (Awarded $750)
- St. George Theatre Restoration, Inc. (Awarded $1,000)
- St. John’s University (Awarded $1,000)
- St. John Villa Academy (Awarded $750)
- Susan E. Wagner High School Instructional Support Services (Awarded $1,000)
- Theatre Rehabilitation for Youth Inc. (Awarded $500)
- Troop 26 Boy Scouts Of America (Awarded $750)
- Wagner College (Awarded $500)
Previously Awarded:
- The GRACE Foundation of New York ($250)
- John W. Lavelle Preparatory Charter School ($1,500)
- Sunrise Camp ($250)
Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to the following employees’ children:
- Piumi Navoda Ahelapa Gamage, a student at the College of Staten Island.
- Nicholas Lione, a student at Alfred University.
- Luke Lombardi, a student at Binghamton.
- Jessica Lynch, a student at Alfred University.
- Maria Christine Mazzola, a student at Kean University.
Since 2011, The Lois & Richard Nicotra Foundation has awarded a total of $479,109 to non-profit organizations and scholarship recipients.
CELEBRATIONS: JUNE 9
Happy birthday Thursday to Dan Elliot, Joe DiGiacomo, Stephen Zimmer, Karen O’Shea and Robert Trocciola of Tottenville.
Twins Christopher and Anthony Antonacci, Donna Klien, Carl Sciabarra, Anita ‘Sis” Romano, Rose McGibbon, and Fred Sklenar III are also celebrating birthdays Thursday.
And it’s wedding anniversary time Thursday for Bob and Jill Bowers.