2011-J3863

Commending Abilities! upon the occasion of its 46th Annual Celebrity Sports Night on May 17, 2012

Sponsored By

text

2011-J3863


LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Abilities! upon the occasion of its
46th Annual Celebrity Sports Night on May 17, 2012

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities of New York State are
reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of organizations and
individuals who devote themselves to the welfare of the community and
its citizenry and have made strong contributions to the disability
community; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Abilities! upon the occasion of its 46th Annual Celebrity Sports Night
to be held at Abilities! on Thursday, May 17, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Abilities!, located in Albertson, New York is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to empowering children and adults with disabili-
ties to be active, independent, and self-sufficient participants of
society; and
WHEREAS, Through education, training, technology, research, leadership
and example, Abilities! seeks to provide the highest quality services
and to influence state and national attitudes, policies and legislation
in ways which will provide the greatest benefit for people with disabil-
ities; and
WHEREAS, Abilities!, originally Abilities, Inc., formerly known as the
National Center for Disability Services (NCDS) began in a garage in West
Hempstead, New York in 1952 and successfully demonstrated that people
with disabilities could be productive contributors to society; today,
Abilities! is a significant provider of community-based services to
thousands of people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1960s, Dr. Viscardi moved Abilities, Inc. to a
larger facility, its current home in Albertson, New York, and expanded
the National Center for Disability Services to include vocational train-
ing and job placement for all people with disabilities and, in 1962, he
established an accredited, independent school for children with severe
physical disabilities, now known as the Henry Viscardi School (HVS); and
WHEREAS, Held annually, Abilities!' Celebrity Sports Night is one of
the premier events on Long Island which helps to greatly enrich the
lives of children and adults with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, The 46th Annual Celebrity Sports Night will be held on Thurs-
day, May 17, 2012 and will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Abilities!
and the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Abilities! Founder, Dr. Henry
Viscardi, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, The Co-Chairs of this year's Celebrity Sports Night are
Thomas J. Fanning, Sr., Co-Managing Member of Heritage Strategies LLC,
and James R. Fitzgerald, also a Co-Managing Member of Heritage Strate-
gies LLC; and
WHEREAS, Howard P. Milstein, Chairman of New York Private Bank & Trust
and Managing Partner of Milstein Properties, will be recognized at the
event as Abilities!' Distinguished Honoree; and
WHEREAS, Abilities!' 46th Annual Celebrity Sports Night will, in addi-
tion, proudly feature celebrities Jack Nicklaus, Joe Namath, and Robert
David Hall; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1952 by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., Abilities!, now
ably led by President and Chief Executive Officer John D. Kemp, has
evolved into one of the world's foremost facilities for educating and
training people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, The dedication, commitment, and significant accomplishments
of Abilities! and all those who have been associated with it over the

years truly merit the recognition of this Legislative Body and the
appreciation of all those who have benefited from its services; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor and commend Abilities! upon the occasion of its 46th Annual Celeb-
rity Sports Night on May 17, 2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Abilities! and to the honorees of the evening, Howard P.
Milstein, Jack Nicklaus, Joe Namath, and Robert David Hall.

actions

  • 28 / Mar / 2012
    • REFERRED TO FINANCE
  • 30 / Mar / 2012
    • REPORTED TO CALENDAR FOR CONSIDERATION
  • 30 / Mar / 2012
    • ADOPTED

Resolution Details

Law Section:
Resolutions, Legislative

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.