Imagine leaving the high-speed world of Wall Street for the heart-to-heart connections of community service. That's exactly what Christine Fitzgerald, my esteemed guest and co-founder of the Smithtown Children's Foundation, did. Join us as we navigate her extraordinary journey from finance to philanthropy, discussing the foundation's inception and how it became a beacon of hope for families in the throes of crisis. We delve into the realities of local charity, the judgments faced, and how the foundation has debunked the myth that affluent communities don't struggle. Christine's story is a testament to the power of compassion and the profound difference a community can make when it rallies together.
This episode isn't just about charitable giving; it's a celebration of community synergy and the unsung heroes among us. We unpack how strategic partnerships and events, like Subaru's heartwarming coat donation and the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce's buzzing local activities, have galvanized support and brought warmth (quite literally!) to those in need. The tales of the Avalon apartment fires and how swiftly our community mobilized to provide help showcase the incredible strength of unity in times of adversity. Christine and I reflect on how every individual's effort, no matter how small, contributes to a tapestry of support that holds the power to uplift entire neighborhoods.
For those wondering how to lend a hand, Christine offers a treasure trove of insights. From polar plunges to fundraising events, there's an array of ways to engage with the Smithtown Children's Foundation. Whether you're a local business owner looking to make a difference or an individual eager to volunteer, this episode guides you through the myriad of opportunities to contribute. As we wrap up, we're reminded that the spirit of giving isn't just about opening wallets—it's about opening hearts. So if you're ready to be part of a community that takes action and cares deeply, this is one conversation you won't want to miss.
Learn more about Smithtown Children's Foundation: https://www.smithtownchildrensfoundation.com/
Network with other entrepreneurs and get access to monthly free live trainings: https://bit.ly/38w3VNi
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The show is about to start in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
This is Don't Fear Great, withWabtower Mina marketing
strategies and advertisingtechnologies to help you build a
(00:22):
better business.
Welcome back to the only showon all of the interweb that
matters.
That is Don't Fear Great.
And I've got an amazing guestwith me today in studio, a dear
friend in the community andprobably one of the most
important people in ourcommunity, and I'm honored,
honestly, to have her here onthe show.
But, christine, welcome.
Why don't you introduceyourself and let everyone know
(00:43):
who you are and what yourepresent?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Thank you.
Thanks, rob.
Hi, I'm Chris Fitzgerald.
I am one of the co-founders ofthe Smithtown Children's
Foundation.
I am the executive directorcurrently.
We've been around about 15years helping local families in
the community Everything frombill paying to sending kids to
camp, to backpacks and schoolsupplies, adopting families at
(01:06):
the holidays we kind of do itall.
It's kind of somebody says Ineed help and we say let's talk
about what you need, let's talkabout how we can best help you.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Not every town has an organization like you, and if
they did, they'd be better.
But let's get to sort of thestart.
What prompted you to want tostart Smithtown Children's
Foundation?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, and I should say our legal name is Branch
Brook Children's Foundation.
And when we did that, peoplesaid so you can only help
families if they went to Branch.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Brook.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Elementary and we're like okay, we don't want to
confuse people.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
DBA.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Smithtown Children's.
Foundation so yeah, so we'reone and the same if you come
across both.
I had no intention of run acharity.
I spent 15 years on Wall Street.
My husband was an air trafficcontroller.
My kids were young.
We moved out here from NassauCounty.
I was PTA mom.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
What part of Nassau County did you guys see?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Seaford.
Oh, is that right?
Both my husband and I yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Oh okay, I actually grew up in East Meadow, so we're
both Nassau County people, Iguess.
Yeah, four, ten minutes of poor.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
That's right.
We both got on the SOB to gosomewhere, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
People are like what's the SOB?
Yeah, Seaford or StavageExpressway.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, so we moved out here.
My children were young and myneighbor's daughter at age four
was diagnosed with stage fourneuroblast.
Oh my gosh and she was a twinand she had an older sister who
was my son's age.
We saw them on the bus stopevery day and when we found out
this little girl was sick, myhusband and I said let's run a
(02:48):
fundraiser for them.
So we decided to do a golfouting, because we've done that
for other people in the past.
And as we were running the golfouting I found out two other
ladies who knew the family wereplanning a dinner dance.
So I asked the mom give me oneof their numbers.
So my name is Christine.
I called up this other womanher name is Christie and I said
(03:10):
well, that's funny, she goes.
No, it's really funny is thatthe third woman is Christina.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Oh my gosh, so we're Christine, christina and
Christie.
Yeah, gotta be kidding me Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
We were in the golf outing, we were in the dinner
dance.
Now the holidays come and we'relike we need to do something.
This little girl maybe wasn'tin school because she was sick,
and sadly, when a child is sickand they're not in school, the
kids kind of go on with theirday and don't think much about
it.
But she was a twin and she hada sibling that was three years
older.
So these kids thought aboutthis pretty much every day.
(03:39):
We said we need to do something.
So we planned a holidaybreakfast and Maureen's kitchen
actually came in and cooked forus and Jack goes deli made their
egg sandwich.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Oh my gosh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
We had music, we had Santa we did vendors in the gym
at the school.
So we did those three eventsand we were like we're finishing
each other's sentences.
My husband goes if you threeknuckleheads, don't start a
non-for-profit you are crazy.
And we're like.
I was a stay-home mom.
We had a home-based business,my husband and I.
The other lady was a teacherand the third one was a
(04:13):
stay-home mom, but she is amedical doctor.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And we were like, okay, what should we do?
So I woke up one morning andone of the Christsis not me
called me and said I couldn'tsleep last night.
And I said, yeah, I went onlineand I filed we're going to be a
charity.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Oh my gosh, you're kidding me.
Okay, we're doing this and wedid.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So yeah, and she named us Branch Brook Children's
Foundation and that's when Igot confusing.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
But I said what's?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
our mission.
So our mission is just to helplocal families in crisis by
bridging family, friends,neighbors and local businesses
to act as one in times of crisis.
So it was vague enough that wecould kind of do what we thought
we could accomplish, dependingon what the need of the family
might be.
We also people would say, oh,is it only if a child is sick?
(05:03):
Well, no, because if mom or dador the main caregiver is sick,
or a single parent and they'restruggling, that affects
everybody in the household.
So that's how we started.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Oh, my goodness, you know what they say, like you
know in life, like necessity isthe mother of invention, and it
doesn't just go with inventingthings.
It goes with also organizingcharities that field, or rather
provide a solution to, you know,serious things, and in this
case, you guys came up with theidea.
But here's the thing it's onething to come up with the idea.
It's another thing, though, tohave the people able and willing
(05:37):
to actually acute upon that,execute on that right Exactly,
and it's like the perfect threeto come together at the right
time.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And I didn't know them.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Oh my gosh Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Their children were the age of this little girl who
was sick, and my youngest wasthree years older.
So, my path probably wouldn'thave crossed them.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Wild.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Right, yeah, so that's how that happened.
And it's funny too because somy background on Wall Street I
worked in research and equityresearch, which in Wall Street
terms that's kind of like thelibrary.
It was all very serious andeverybody's researching and you
know, and they used to say to me, the woman who was my like
oversaw the research assistants.
(06:17):
She was from the South and shesaid I always know when you're
not here, chris, and I'm like.
I think she just insulted meBecause I'm loud, because I'm
loud, I don't think she was like.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
I miss you when you're not here.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Right, right, okay so my boss was moving to Texas.
He followed oil companies.
And they wanted him to be moreinvolved with the investment
banking which, if you follow oilcompanies, you go to Texas.
So I'm like, oh, am I going towork for her?
Well, he and the woman who ranwhat was called the research
meeting were conspiring behindme to bring me down to the
(06:52):
trading floor to work with herbecause she knew she was moving
on.
They told me Maureen needs helprunning the morning meeting and
being the liaison on thetrading.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Oh, interesting.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And I love.
I mean, this is where they'reall screaming.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
This is where I belong.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Right, by the way, high stress environment, though
Loved it.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Wow, loved it.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
So I worked with her for two weeks.
She took a week's vacation.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay so.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Maureen, who's going to run the meeting you are?
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Oh my goodness, I have two weeks of experience,
she goes.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
you can do this.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And I did.
And I mean, they heard it allover.
You know Sweden heard it,london heard it, they, you know
they.
Yeah, so it was, it was, it waswild.
So I was kind of the organizer.
I kind of organized the me,organized the analyst.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
And I came to the non doing the nonprofit?
Yeah, I'm like okay, I can dothis I got this.
I can do this, you know, and,and Kristi and Christina had
great creative ideas and, as yousay, got things done.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, so the three of us.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Now, at some point Kristi had to step back.
So we and we had built anadvisory board of people to help
us and we said, okay, we needto have, you know, an uneven
number on the executive board tomake decisions for voting and
who should we ask from theadvisory board?
And we asked ready KristiLynette.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Oh my gosh.
So is that like a prerequisite?
Now, in order to apply, youhave to.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
That's what Nancy Valorella said.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Oh, Nancy can never be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Until you change your name, you cannot be on the
executive board.
That goes for the rest of it.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
That is so funny.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Kristi is a teacher in the district.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Young lot of energy.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Okay.
No, I thought she was just theperfect person to step in and
fill that void where Kristi hadto step back.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
So yeah, so we laugh about that.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
And Kristina's husband is Christopher.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, how is this possible?
Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
someone told me once, and I don't want to get sappy,
but he said Christ is in all ofyour names.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Right.
I was like wow, I didn't thinkof that.
So yeah, so that makes me feel,wow, all right, well, listen,
if it's at the center of whatyou're doing, then everything's
going to be blessed.
Yeah, wow, exactly, wow, that'samazing.
Oh yeah, Do you?
I do.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Do, but at 60, I just turned 60 last month.
I'm not doing an hour and ahalf commute every day.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
No.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And it's a different world, but I learned so much I
met so many great people.
They were so good.
I spent 10 years at CreditSuisse and another five at
Deutsche Bank.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And I left before 9-11.
, thank goodness.
But I was modeling my son.
He was a baby and he was a babyFord model and we were at the
World Trade Center the daybefore for an audition.
Oh my gosh.
We were called back thatmorning and we went in Queens
and this is how old I am.
I had a cassette tape onplaying music in my truck.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I'm kidding.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
My mother called me and said did you hear what
happened?
A plane hit the world.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
You got to get out of there.
Okay, my husband's an airtraffic controller.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Yeah, soっと 잘 is what my husband would have said.
Oh, that's some cowboy.
Like these, private planesdon't always have to if they fly
through a certain altitude theydon't have to talk to the
controllers, so that's what myfirst thought?
My mother goes no, I think it'sa bigger plane, and I turned
around and if I was coming backfrom Queens, I saw all the
emergency vehicles going intothe city.
(10:04):
It still gives me chills when Isay that to this day.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Oh my gosh yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So I miss it.
I miss that fun and thatcamaraderie.
And that's why, when people say, oh, I love working from home,
I couldn't have done what I didfrom home, I wouldn't have
gotten out of it when I got outof it, so starting a
not-for-profit right yourSmithtown Children's Foundation
early on.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
what were some of the struggles that you experienced
in trying to have thisorganization run and then also
provide a solution and be aresource to the community?
What were those early strugglesthat you guys faced?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
You know we had great ideas but you have to fund them
.
They have to be funded.
So it was getting out there andletting the business community
and the small business communitybecause that's really what's in
Smithtown- a lot of smallbusinesses know who we are, what
our mission was, how we helped,who we helped and why it would
(11:07):
be beneficial for them to maybegive us support.
And you know a lot of smallbusinesses.
They want to barter things.
So, yeah, I'll take a meal forone of my families who mom is
sick.
I'll gladly take that, but Istill need to fund my mission to
pay medical bills, to pay rentor a mortgage or whatever.
So as we tried to go out to abigger companies, they're like
(11:28):
who are you and you only helpfamilies in like that small area
on the island and actually thisupset me.
But I get over things.
I have big shoulders.
I get over it easy.
I went into a TJ Maxx I can'tremember where it wasn't, it was
local but and it was around thetime when they had all the
backpacks and lunchboxes out.
(11:49):
I said oh my God, this is ajansper, these are so cheap.
I'm going to.
I had three carts of backpacksand I was going to buy them so
that when we had, you know, backto school for kids who needed
backpacks, we were ready withthe backpack.
Yeah, and I get up to theregister and I have my tax
exempt and the woman saysSmithtown Children's Foundation.
What do you do?
(12:09):
I said, oh, we help localfamilies in crisis.
She goes like only Smithtownarea.
I said yeah, right now.
She said, oh, I didn't knowSmithtown needed a charity and I
went just ring me up.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Like are you kidding me?
Like.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I just oh, okay.
Oh my goodness, so judgmental,yes Like people hurt, whether
you come from Smithtown,Brentwood, Seaford, wherever you
know, people and we havefamilies whose idea of
struggling may be different thana family struggling.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Tragedy does not discriminate, first of all,
exactly, sickness does notdiscriminate.
So that's, that's an unfair,very ignorant statement.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, you're right, you're right, it was ignorant.
Yeah, yeah, now I did havesomeone say they were doing an
event for I guess it was likechildren in Africa to provide
sneakers and clothing and stuff,and I said that's great, but I
pay to belong here, withoutmentioning names, and really
(13:07):
charity begins at home, doesn'tit?
And he said, yeah, but, chris,there's a different level of
need there.
And I said, okay, I understandyour passion and your mission
and thank you for taking thetime to explain that to me, and
they have since done many thingsfor us, but it you know,
everybody has a differentmindset.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
That's right, and that's okay.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
We are allowed to have different opinions.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's true.
Yeah, I wish.
By the way I mean, this is alla tough topic I wish more people
understood that we coulddisagree something we can agree
to disagree, we can agree.
Isn't that okay?
That shouldn't be an option.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Okay, okay, right exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
So, as for a, now you're very I would call you a
successful non-for-profit inthat you've helped so many
people you really have.
And now and we were talkingabout this before the show now
it's to the point where, whenthere is tragedy and there is a
need, people are finding you,people know to call you and for
me you fast forward now from theearly beginnings to today.
(14:03):
That tells me you're successful, because now the community
knows and you're servicing agreat need.
What did that journey look liketo get to where you guys are
today, to be able to be sort ofthat like household name?
You know, was there marketresearch?
Was there marketing?
Like, is that part of charitiesat all or not really?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Maybe for the bigger charities, but we like to make
sure that you know the bulk ofwhat's raised is going back to
the mission of helping peopleRight.
You know, when you see acharity that says, oh, 20% of
what's raised goes to the actualI don't know cancer research,
whatever, like well, 80% isadministrative.
(14:42):
We don't want to be thatcharity.
And we're small enough that wedon't have to be.
I get it when you grow, thingslike that can happen, but I want
to stay focused.
I mean, I want to be the tunnelto towers.
You know where?
What 90 cents on every dollargoes.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Oh, it's unbelievable , it's amazing what you do.
So then, how do you keep thoseadministrative costs so low and
yet so many people know aboutyou guys?
What's the secret?
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I feel like it's a little from a lot of different
people.
So you know, when you havesmall businesses I'm not going
to get a $10,000 sponsor for mygolf outing, but I might get 10
$350 T whole sponsors.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
You know.
So that kind of adds up, itbuilds good will, it.
Also I like to when we weretalking before, I like to
promote the local businessesbecause if they thrive they can
help me.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know, so.
I realized that it's a, youknow, a quid pro quo in a good
way, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
More people need to understand.
What you just said is in thateven that's true for businesses
in a competing market with othersimilar, like-minded businesses
is.
I think we're a lot ofentrepreneurs and leaders fall
short is that they look ateverything as competition and
competition is enemy.
And that's not true, actually,because the tide rises for all
(16:01):
ships.
Exactly, we should be helpingevery one of us out, even if
there's another business that'svery similar to yours, because
if we help each other out, wecreate a more, a healthier
community, a healthiermarketplace, and then there's
success for everyone.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Yeah, exactly, you know, we don't have to be in
this, separate from everything.
Yeah, there's a couple ofexamples.
I have a friend who decided tostart a nonprofit as she was
left with funds to do so.
I don't know what to do.
So I said how about?
What do you feel like she was?
Well, you do a great golfouting.
So the one year I said, okay,we'll do it together and I'll
(16:37):
kind of show you the ropes.
If you want to do a golf outingnext year and go on your own, I
won't be offended.
We'll share the proceeds, but wehave to share the sponsors that
come in the golfers that comein the donations that come in,
so you can work with otherpeople and do that we just did
our second music bingo night,and proceeds go to the
foundation, but they also go toSmithtown's IAB which is their
(16:59):
industry association advisoryboard for people who don't know
what that is, and it's a great.
I mean, our business departmentin Smithtown is ranked in the
state and these kids if you'venever heard them make
presentations when they do thebusiness Olympics, they're on
the stage in the auditorium withslide shows like at 16, 17
(17:20):
years old.
So professional.
Yeah, yeah, they do a great job,yeah so they wanted to fund
those scholarships and actuallyMary Petgraffstein was in charge
of that and she retired and Iscooped her right up to be on
our advisory board.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You're kidding.
Oh my goodness, I need youright back.
But wait a minute.
Her name doesn't sort of fallin line with everyone, no, she?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
can be on the advisory board.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Oh, there you go, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
She can play.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah .
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, so, yeah.
So she's like how about we domusic bingo night?
I?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
said okay.
So we split the proceeds.
We did one and we just didanother one.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Wow, it's a lot of fun and for me it brings in
people who may not have heardabout the foundation Like she's
got a group of girls who playbingo.
They have a name for themselves.
They call themselves the bingobabes.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
And they play bingo, music bingo.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yeah, so those are people who are like what's the
Smith Town Children's Foundation?
So yeah, so there's all thatsort of thing.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, that happened.
But yeah, there's alwayschallenges.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
There's always struggles.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
People don't understand.
People think you know, how areyou gonna help me?
What are you gonna?
How can you help this family?
I wanna keep things private.
Well, we know that we're anonprofit.
That's what.
When people apply, there's aform that says you understand,
you're not gonna hold a sly bullif we, you know, if we mention
your name.
But I've never in 15 years,mentioned anybody's name in any
(18:38):
press or in any interview.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
That didn't say yes, you can mention my name.
I understand that I've onlyknown you now for the past few
years, and the few times thatwe've have met or done something
together you do.
You honor first of all people'sprivacy, and that's one thing I
100% respect about what you'redoing is you know you can tell
you're not looking at this forpersonal gain at all.
You literally are in everysingle situation.
(19:01):
How can I make the best use ofmy time and this organization to
help solve a problem forsomeone?
And that's a very rare sort ofapproach to things.
You know and that and I and itreally is, it's extraordinary,
so I can vouch for her.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
She honors all that stuff Absolutely.
I think what I did on WallStreet has attuned me a lot to
that.
I would have had an analyst sayhey, I wanna say this about
this company.
What are your thoughts when?
Speaker 1 (19:31):
is best for me to do it.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
How is best for me to articulate it, that sensitivity
around what the message is andhow to get it, how best to get
it out there.
So, when we have these familieswho need help, I know I'm
running a business and the bestthing to do is to take advantage
, in a good way, of let me usethis story to promote what we're
(19:53):
doing.
But, at the same time, I needto be sensitive to their story
and their privacy.
So, you know, for people who say, hell, you really should tell
more of the stories, I wouldlove to do that and I guess if I
took them in it, there arefamilies who would love to get
on and tell me, hey, thefoundation did this or that for
me.
So you know, maybe we can do abetter job at that.
(20:13):
You know, to kind of helppeople understand what we do.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Yeah, and listen.
I get that because for peoplethat are not as involved as you
are and are not as close tovarious, you know, moments of
tragedy in other people's lives,they truly don't understand the
importance and of what you'redoing and they also don't
necessarily understand howdeeply of these tragedies impact
(20:37):
families.
You know, they just look at itas a singular event, but they
don't understand the dominoeffect of these tragedies and I
think that allowing families tocome in and if you're, let's say
, if a family is listening tothis right now and they're a
family that you have helped.
I wanna encourage you to findsome strength in your story and,
even if you're going through itor you've received a positive
(20:58):
outcome, one thing that you cando, I think, is to tell your
story because it will empowersomeone else, encourage someone
else, because I get we weretalking about this also is, I
think there's a lot of peoplegoing through stuff and they're
afraid to actually ask To raisetheir hand.
They're afraid they're asked forhelp, even though they're in a
(21:18):
situation where they need thehelp.
You know, in life it's eitherwhere the person that can help
or where the person that needshelp, and we all have those
moments.
We sometimes flip flops andwe've got to have some humility
and sometimes be okay to letsomeone else it's okay to not be
okay, right, exactly, and tosay I'm not okay, right, and
where we understand your tragedyand you want to be sort of
(21:39):
alone.
You don't necessarily have to gothrough it alone and that's why
your organization is brilliantbecause you allow people to
sometimes be anonymous, you canjust come as being that helping
hand to get them through thattough time.
It's really extraordinary andyou create a healthier community
because of that.
That's why I started off theshow by saying if every town had
a Smithtown Children'sFoundation, they'd be a better
(22:01):
town.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
It's funny that you say that, because back in, maybe
two years into this, there wasa woman who worked for Long
Island Business News calledBeverly Fortune and she used to
produce the Long Island women ofexcellence 52.
So they were 52 in every year.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Oh sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So and people would nominate.
So I don't remember even, itwas so long ago.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Who nominated us Like she?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
sat down with the interview and she said what do
you think is so amazing aboutwhat you're doing?
I said you know, it's notrocket science.
We run these signature events,we put the money in the kitty,
we're there as a resource for afamily in crisis and then we
talk to them and see how best wecan help them.
And she said if it were thateasy, why doesn't every town
have one?
And I was like, huh, okay.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, I get it, she has a point, she has a point.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Why doesn't I mean so ?
At that point we talked aboutlike we should have chapters.
I said all right, well, that'sgreat, but we're busy running
our own chapter, if you will,but over the years, in 15 years,
we do have six other chapters.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And they have specific missions and they're
run by six other people who havetheir own advisory board but
report back to us, kind of whatthey're doing and how can we
help and I manage their funds.
Basically, we have a chapter.
If I may, we have a chapter, aHop Hop chapter and, as a woman
who, you know, lives in Hop Hop,has a business in Smithtown and
(23:31):
said how do we get one of thesechapters in Hop?
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Hop.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
I said well, we did have one, but the lady who was
running it had to step back.
We never really kind of got itoff the ground.
I said I need somebody whoreally wants to spearhead it and
she said I'll do it.
Well, she recently had to stepback because she's a dynamo when
.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
I go get it.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
So we got another lady in Hop Hop who said I'll do
this, and she too.
her name is in Christine butshe's great, she's a dynamo and
she'll get stuff done and ourmission in Hop Hop is similar to
our mission in Smithtown.
But then we have chapters thatdo very specific things and I
love it because it's not.
(24:08):
They're not tied to well.
What town do you live in?
So Tristan's Wish is our Wishgranting chapter, and it's run
by Tristan's aunt.
Tristan was four years old whenwe had meningitis and he passed
very suddenly, oh my gosh.
And she and grandma would goaround collecting water bottles
and she would do my hair and say, wow, this foundation's a lot
(24:28):
of work.
We collect bottles in memory ofmy nephew.
I mean I would love to dosomething more, but that's too
much work.
I said, well, tell me what youwant.
We just want to put a smile ona kid's face.
I said, okay, so we created aDBA for Tristan's Wish.
So now, if I've got a familywho I need to help pay the rent
and it's the five year old'sbirthday and they want a big
(24:49):
present.
I can't justify paying the rentand buying the present.
But Tristan's Wish can buy thepresent.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Oh, yes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Then we have a chapter, and they all formed
organically.
It's not like we planned any ofit.
Silent Night run by a St Jamesman who was doing a fundraiser
with a guy he went to highschool with whose son had a
brain tumor.
Boy is now in high school.
He's doing very well.
Happy to say that.
But he said I love this, feltgreat, I want to do this.
(25:17):
All the time I said what do youwant to do?
He goes I want to adopt kids atthe families, not just kids
families.
I want to give them a kick, buttChristmas.
He said okay, so he goes.
I know what I want to call it.
I go what he goes Silent Night.
I go like KNITE.
No, like night, like SilentNight.
I go all right, whatever youwant to call it, I'm fine.
Basically, you're adoptingfamilies.
(25:37):
He goes, yeah okay, makes himhappy and it's providing joy to
him and a purpose for him.
Something that gives himpleasure.
Sadly, we have a chapter calledSmiles for Sean that is run by
Sean's mom.
Sean passed from cancer, but hemade it to his 18th birthday,
his high school graduation andhe was a junior fire explorer in
(26:00):
Smithtown.
And he managed to become afireman and so she said I just,
I want to help people navigate achildhood cancer diagnosis.
So that's what Smiles for Seandoes.
Then we lost another young manin the community, anthony, and
his mom runs Anthony's Hope.
Anthony had mental healthissues and he ended up
(26:20):
committing suicide.
And she came to me not morethan three months after and said
I have to do something.
I said what do you think?
And, honey, do you want to do ascholarship in his name?
Do you want to do a chapter?
And she goes what does thatmean?
I could do a chapter, talk tome.
So she runs the Anthony's Hopechapter which raises awareness
of mental health issues andraises awareness about suicide
(26:43):
prevention.
So that's Anthony's Hope.
And then, most recently, thelady who runs Heart, tristan's
Wish her brother passed.
There was a single dad withseven or eight kids, three of
which he adopted.
His mission was always I wantto help you know he'd give the
guy off the street the showoffice back.
(27:04):
Yeah, the kind of guy he was sowe have the heart to heart
chapter, which helpssingle-parent households.
Okay so I feel like I said, ifwe can get a vets, a pets and a
seniors chapter, we goteverything.
Yeah, yeah right.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Now.
So, being that you've helped somany people Locally, now let's
dip.
If it's okay in the community,does, does like sort of the
local Schools or even our localgovernment.
We've got a great you knowleadership team here here in the
greater town of Smithtown.
Do they bring you in tocollaborate like?
(27:41):
Is there any involvement fromthe schools or?
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Okay, yeah, but I won't yeah, okay.
Yes, the school district isamazing.
They have since our inceptionlike we went to Christie, went
to them and said, hey, do youneed backpacks and school
supplies?
So now, every year, we talk toevery guidance and social worker
in the school district.
Yeah say what do you need?
How many do you need?
We'll get it done.
We distribute it Holidays, samething.
(28:06):
Do you have families you needadopted?
I need their list as soon aspossible.
Thanksgiving anybody need ameal or a gift card for food.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Mmm that's.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
That's every year in and out and they so much
appreciate that.
And then they come to us withspecific families that have
specific issues that they justlike we don't know how to
address this.
Yep and the social workers.
They give money out of theirown pocket.
They buy things for thesepeople out of their own pocket
and and the school district, asI said, like, knows us, they
know to come to us with things,yeah and they're supportive of
(28:37):
us.
Yeah there's a young man whopassed away.
He played soccer at West andhis friends wanted to do a
soccer tournament in his memory.
And they came to us and they'relike we really want to do this,
but like we're not a club, likewe can't use the field, we're
not a club.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I said, okay, we can.
The district will like rent usthe field today.
And it could be under ourbanner and our umbrella, and
then also, when you collect cash, we can collect it.
Now.
People are getting their taxdeduction right.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
They made a donation to a charity right and some
people care about that, sure,sure.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Um, and then that funds Patrick's live a full life
scholarship in his memory, ohwow.
So so they're good to us thatway.
Yeah when we used to do ourholiday breakfast.
They were amazing.
They kind of gave us the run ofthe school.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And in the right way, so that they didn't get any
trouble with anybody.
They're not supposed to, so theschool district has been great.
Okay the town has the SmithtownYouth Bureau and they're an
amazing organization.
Yeah, collaborate with the kids.
Yeah they have their ownadvisory board.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
I asked you.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
They did a Bing basket and blankets Drive for us
.
Yeah and we were distributingthe blankets not only to our
local families.
Yeah we also work with otherpeople who deal with shelter
families.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, domestic violence, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
And we were giving to them to distribute to families
and the baskets.
We can always use basketsbecause we are always making
raffle baskets for something.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yeah, I, I remember last year yeah, what, when you
attended the opening day forNesca's athletic association,
which you're invited back toalways?
Yeah, you had the baskets thereand, by the way, they were a
big hit.
Exactly, they couldn't wait togive you guys money to get a
ticket for, to win one of thebaskets.
Like they're really lovely,like they're amazing.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I make most of them.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Do you really?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Yeah, I.
That feeds my creative need andand also my shopping need,
because I was always a bit of ashop of holly.
Yep, just ask my husband.
Yeah, so I'll go intoMarshall's and go.
Oh, this would be great in abasket.
Yes you know, we get a lot ofdonations.
Yeah but you have to supplementthe basket of course, something
that catches the eye or youknow it's on little Chachki.
(30:45):
Yeah it says Yankee candleExcellent.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Yeah, so, yeah, so we do the baskets.
But the youth bureau is good tous.
We did a Smithtown.
Youths got talent a number ofyears ago.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Oh, okay, okay, like we again yeah, it was their idea
.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
We're like, okay, how can we help them realize this?
Yes now they're doing, they'regonna do collect prom dresses.
Okay like a shopping nightwhere the girls can come in and
you're kidding dressed and theysaid can you do you?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
want to.
Oh, so we're just working thatout now, Sure but it's, it's a
partnership.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, and, like I mentioned the IAB, that we
Partner with them to help fundboth of our scholarships.
And also the town.
You mentioned the townofficials, the town government.
We just did the pickleballtournament.
Leslie and John Kennedy camedown to check.
Oh yeah, okay sweet and thetown officials.
They adopt families Every year.
(31:38):
Oh wow, they take on family orwow and also the sunrise Rotary
and the Regular Rotary.
The Smithtown Rotaries areamazing, you know, and and even
I'm part of the WisconsinChamber Like I can't join them
all.
Yeah, yeah, yeah but they knowhow to get me.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Sure, you know, they know if they need me, sure, I
want you to speak at this.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
I want you to talk about this upcoming.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Yes, can you help us with something?
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
So, yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Yeah, I mean this, this, the, the town, the
community.
This is also a special place,your special person.
You got a great organizationand we're fortunate to live in a
really great community.
Yeah, and it seems like there'sa lot of people willing to give
a helping hand.
And one thing I noticed is, youknow, at the events you have,
there's a lot of people, itseems, that are like really
excited about helping you withvarious stuff.
(32:32):
Like how did you get to that?
Like how did people just sortof buy into this philosophy, the
, the mission that you guys have, and why are so many people
inspired and excited to, to be apart of this?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
It's.
It's so funny.
I always, when a new businesscomes in, yeah, and they reach
out to us, I'm like, yes, we'redoing something right.
They want to know how they canget involved or you know.
I just had them, subaru dotheir operation, warm coats.
Oh, okay and we, they deliveredyeah.
I think 150 coats to us that,oh my gosh we're gonna
distribute in the fall.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Yeah, it's too late for this year.
They do it in January.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, we kind of like to give them out in December,
so so, yeah, so, so there'sthings like that, but I feel
like it was, just, as I said,very organically grown like
let's do this.
Oh, hey, did that work?
Yeah, that's good, we should dothat again.
Yeah and as we ran, we also.
You know, the holiday breakfast, for example, is in December.
How many things are in Decemberin the community?
(33:32):
Oh, a ton look at this fairthat that yeah, yeah you know
everybody has something going on.
So we would say, okay, when isit?
When one of these other eventsor let's book are so far in
advance that people will see?
Speaker 1 (33:44):
this is when theirs is.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Let's stay away from that.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Yeah, so just to be respectful.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Yeah of what else was going on, cuz I don't want to
go ahead, I don't want to wasteanybody's time.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
The chamber did a Smithtown.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Chamber would do like a ball.
I can't think of what it wascalled.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
And we would say Barbara, when is that?
Because, we want to do ourtasting event and we don't want
to conflict with when you'redoing your event yeah.
So it's just aboutcommunicating with people.
And again I think back to mytrading for days.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What do you want to get on?
You know, yeah, but yeah, soyou brought up some of the
chambers.
You got NIST concert Chamber ofCommerce, you got Smithtown
Chamber of Commerce.
Um, especially, let's talkabout, I guess, smithtown.
We're in Smithtown, there's theword Smithtown's in your name,
right, so let's talk about thatchamber.
I noticed there's somethingdifferent and unique about the
Smithtown Chamber than otherchambers that I have been
(34:34):
introduced to over the yearsfrom all over the place, not
just in this in Suffolk County,but NASA County and even out of
the state.
There seems to be somethingdifferent about this particular
chamber or the people in it.
Is it the town?
Is it the community?
You know what they're soinvolved.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
I think it's, uh, I think it's a, it's a good energy
.
There's a lot of, there's a lotof offshoots.
There's um the young youngprofessionals young
professionals advisory board orwhatever.
So you know they're dynamic andthey want to get more done.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
And then they do their, their normal events, like
the running of the bull thatthey do every year, right, yeah.
Um, we even I mean, I talkabout the town, I'm sorry, it's
not the chamber, but the seniorcenter came to us this year and
said we want to adopt a family.
Oh wow, I said well you got alot of people and you know, do
they want to shop or theylooking for gift cards.
I go maybe the best way to dothis this year we have an upside
(35:27):
down Christmas tree.
It's literally upside down andwe say turn someone's life right
side up.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Hang ornaments on it with a gift card with our
mailing address on there, oh wow.
So they did a drive for thatand they she called me our
seniors.
We had $2,100 in gift cards.
They they collected from theseniors.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Amazing Senior center , amazing.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
And I did nothing.
I gave you the tree.
I set it up with the ornaments.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
I gave everything back to me and I got picked
those up, probably December 20thand then December 22nd, where
the apartment fires at Avalon.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Oh gosh.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Eight families displays.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yes, yes, that was bad.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
They needed everything.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I didn't want to get into buying clothes for people I
didn't know or taking loadingdonations, because we've done
that too, when there's a familyout there, of course, of course.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
But we said gift cards, gift cards gift cards, oh
yeah.
Yeah, we got pretty much toevery family.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
That's amazing.
I remember that.
I mean that smoke was buildingeverywhere and everyone was
chatter chattering Like what'sgoing on here.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Yeah, yeah, and they wouldn't, they wouldn't.
I said they wouldn't let thebus in from the school.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, but you were like right there.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yeah Well, and I live across the street, like behind
the water mill, so I amliterally right there.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Oh, so that's why I'm like because I saw a picture
I'm like how is she alreadythere?
I'm like she's like superwoman.
I'm not even kidding.
I remember seeing a picture andI'm like I can't believe she's
already there.
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Well, the people were so grateful.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
And I put it out there on social, because people
this is the thing People want tomobilize.
And again I go back to mytrading floor.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
A salesman would say do you see this stock?
Is this analyst going to talk?
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Trader, do you see this stock?
I have a position in this.
The investment banker are wegoing to talk about, so now I go
to the analysis what are?
We doing?
Did you talk to the company?
What are you hearing?
Let's get the and they're beingpulled in the direction.
They're phones ringing from allthese people and I say turn off
your phones.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Figure out what you want to say Focus.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
They get down here on the Hooten Hall of the Squawk.
Box and tell everybodysimultaneously Right right,
right so when something likethat happens.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I know I'm mobile, I know how to mobilize.
I don't find that an issue, sothat's exactly what I did, and
around Facebook I said look, I'mgetting more information.
Everyone wants to help.
They don't know what they needright now.
They don't even know when theycan get back in.
They don't know what'ssalvageable, what's not.
They're talking to the RedCross, they're figuring out
where they're going to live.
I have dishes, I have furniture.
(37:42):
That's wonderful.
But they may not know if theyneed that for another week or
two.
So I immediately put up aFacebook fundraiser and then I
gave people updates.
So I think the communityappreciated that we want to help
.
We don't know how to help andnow there's a place that we can
go to get updates to see what'sgoing on.
And so we did gift cards,maria's Mexican and Wisconsin.
(38:06):
She gave me gift cards for alleight families to come have a
nice meal.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Which I thought was very sweet.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
We have great restaurants.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
We have a lot of great businesses.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
The best restaurants.
I will say yes.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Really giving, and I'm not a restaurateur, but I
know how small their profitmargins are and how what their
costs are like these days.
So I appreciate everything theydo for us, but that could be a
whole nother podcast, so we didgift cards.
Maria stepped up.
(38:39):
We later on coordinated withpeople who had furniture and who
needed furniture.
But in the immediate aftermathof this it was December 22nd
four of the families had kids.
We coordinated presents.
The fire department gave megifts for them.
They collected, donatedWisconsin collected funds and
(39:00):
wrote a check to go to thefamilies.
Just amazing.
We had Santa go to the hotel onChristmas Eve, did you?
Speaker 1 (39:08):
really For one of the families.
Oh wow, I love the hotel.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
The mom said to me she's in the hotel.
She thinks she's on holiday.
She wants to go in the pool andI had to say, honey, you don't
even have a bathing suit, andit's December, I can't get one.
I said here, here's an Amazongift card.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Go buy one, you'll have a bathing suit.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
She's like thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
So you know we did that kind of thing.
So it's the kind of stuffyou're not going to, it's not
going to be on paper in ourstatement of okay, this is what
we'll do for you.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
It's just kind of you love this, don't you?
I do?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
I do.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
I really love you know it's interesting, like for
me, I look at various things inlife like a chest match.
That's just how my brain worksright and I could tell, like you
really love to problem solve,don't you, you could tell.
Like you have this analyticalmind and you love being able to
say like all right, here's afamily.
I see their struggles, I canhelp them.
Let me do my thing.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Like you can't wait, let me get in there.
Well, listen, with the house myhusband goes, I'll get out of
the way.
I mean he knew it was threedays before Christmas.
We're making cookies.
I'm trying to cook.
I'm like okay, what can we doto help you?
He knows, at this point, youknow just get out of your way,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
All right.
So two more questions for you.
One I'll put you on the hotseat.
I'm going to answer ask, sit upstraight.
This is going to be a randomquestion from the community that
they, they, you know theydelivered a bunch of questions
and so you're going to get arandom one.
So it could be anything.
I like that.
But first let's talk about andlet's just really break this
down.
Local terms are very direct.
(40:38):
People that are listening,they're inspired right now.
I have no doubt they're likewow, this is amazing, I want to
get involved Right.
So, for someone who's listening, how can someone get involved?
And then, what's the best waythat people can help?
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Okay.
So to get involved multipleways volunteer at an event and
we, we work with a lot of highschool kids, middle school kids
at the pickle bolts ornament,helping us.
I mean never too young or tooold to be a volunteer for us.
Attend the events, sponsor anevent.
I always I tell my advisoryboard look, I can't keep going
(41:17):
to the same restaurants andbusinesses I frequent for that
$25, $50, $100 gift card for ourraffles.
You go to different restaurantsthan me.
You asked your restaurants.
You're a customer of theirs, sothat's always helpful.
If you want to be, maybe, onour advisory board and help in
that way, always, never, willnever turn down promoting new
(41:42):
businesses if they help us inour mission.
And in fact, when we did thepickleball tournament, I had
been trying to get with themanager at pickle and pour for
near a year since they opened,because I'm like they're a new
business, people need to knowabout them.
Well, the reason they couldn'tget to him is because they were
so busy.
Pickleball people are crazy forpickleball.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
It's the hottest sport right now.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Yeah, it's crazy.
And then when we set thetournament, they were amazing to
us.
I mean, basically no memberscould play all day because we
took their courts for the dayand they were so generous to us.
But my point is, it filled upin like two weeks and they
basically you know, they didn'tknow me, but they were told this
(42:25):
is the Smithtown Children'sFoundation.
They have local families and nowthey're like we want to get
involved, we want to do more, wewant to sponsor other events.
So if you are a local business,you know a local business, you
work at a local business and youwant to help raise your profile
, let us help you.
Obviously, we want your help inreturn.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
We want reciprocal.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
But those are really the best ways to do it.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Then also give the website, if you could, and other
means of contact.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Yes, yes, you can always.
The website issmithtownchildrenfoundationcom.
My email and cell phone is allover that.
It's the one that's fit.
Fitzybbcf at optonlinenet.
You'll always reach me there.
We're on Instagram, we're onFacebook.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
We have multiple pages out there Now for people
that maybe don't have the timeto get involved, but they do
want to be able to help youfinancially.
Is there the means of donatingon your website as well?
Yes, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
On the Smithtownchildren's Foundation
there's a button right at thetop that says donate.
You can make it a I love Tunnelto Towers.
Does there $11 a month, thoserecurring donations?
Even if it's $2 a month,whatever it is it's income
that's coming in that helps funda 99% volunteer organization.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
Holy cow, that's amazing.
And then upcoming events.
What's the most immediate needthat you have right now, whether
it be event-based orfamily-based, what is something
that we can help as a communitytoday?
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Okay, so the event that's coming up March 2nd is a
polar plunge.
I will not be plunging.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
I run the event but I do not plunge.
I got you.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
But last year we had 100 people do it.
Wow, there was a ton of fun.
The Smithtown Bay Yacht Clublets us host it there.
So, for people who do thesepolar plunges.
We were told look, they'regoing to come in, they're going
to get undressed, they're goingto run in the water, they're
going to come out, change theirsocks, put a hat on and leave,
it'll be quick.
Yeah Well, the Smithtown BayYacht Club lets us come inside,
(44:27):
and then they come inside.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
We have raffle baskets, we have hot cocoa and
coffee and we have donuts fromduck donuts and bagels from
Boulevard Bagels and coffee fromSweep Waters.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
So they want to come back inside.
So it's a fun event, alwayslooking for sponsors.
We get good local press comesdown there.
The fire department puts theboat in the water.
It makes it very official.
So that's a great event, evenif you want to come and just
laugh at somebody who's lookedto do it.
Amazing, because I don't.
And then, as far as non-eventbut family related, we are
(45:01):
trying to do something for ayoung lady whose dad is very
sick and we're not sure what theevent's going to be yet, but we
are going to have a fundraiser.
So anytime, look, you candonate at any time to the
website.
But when we have events,something may move you.
I may not put the young lady'spicture on it.
(45:23):
When you're a high schoolstudent.
You really don't want yourpicture all over the place.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
You're someone's doing a fundraiser for you.
So again, it's the privacy.
We want to try and keep itprivate, but we may put
something out about that eventin the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Gotcha, stay tuned for that, all right.
So actually I'm going to addone more before I get to the
last question.
I want to give you anopportunity, if you know, give
your elevator pitch rightSomeone who has never met you
before, you've never heard ofthe organization, although I
find that hard to believe right,but they've never heard of it
before and you got them for likea minute.
(45:58):
You've got 60 seconds of theirtime.
What do you say to them thatexplains who you are, what you
represent and the importance ofwhat you do?
Speaker 2 (46:08):
And again, this is what I had made the analysts do
when I worked on a trading floor.
I don't want to hear youfive-minute story.
What's your pitch?
Let's go.
Traders and salesmen want oneminute explanation.
The traders want the 10 secondyeah.
So the Smith Town Children'sFoundation is a non-for-profit,
15 years strong, helps localfamilies in crisis, from bill
(46:30):
paying to sending kids to campand preschool.
We supply backpacks and schoolsupplies, thanksgiving meals and
gift cards.
We adopt families at theholidays and we're there as a
resource for the things thatmaybe people don't understand,
they need or know that there'sthat resource out there.
Yeah, really, that's my pitch.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
Well done.
And then the question thatsomeone asked is you can go back
16 years and you've got a gift.
You can go to 16 years and goto yourself that's from 16 years
ago but you only have 30seconds to talk to yourself,
right, and it's a privateconversation.
The genie just takes you backthere, right?
(47:14):
What's the one thing thatyou're going to tell yourself
that's going to help you do aneven better job today?
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Oh wow, that's a doozy right.
Speaker 1 (47:23):
That's a doozy right.
A line blown yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
But one thing that's going to help me do a better job
today Correct.
Well, I think in my own personalfeeling is that I could have
better listening skills.
As much as I feel like I, whensomeone talks, I hear what
they're saying.
I don't want to jump on them.
I feel like sometimes I jump onthem because what I want to say
(47:47):
is so important.
I have to say this, but I feellike my excuse is it's because I
don't want to forget.
I'm going to forget what I want, what my train of thought was,
but usually it's probablybecause I'm not listening as
well as I could be.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
Yeah, that's actually .
That's really good advice.
You know, I recently had aconversation with someone
somewhat on this topic and theyalso gave an answer that was not
typical to how people typicallyrespond, because a lot of
responses that I've heard in thepast had to send her around
like the one crazy liketechnology or education or thing
(48:20):
that'll make me more money.
But it's so nice and refreshingto hear things like that
because I think it's underrated.
Listening is an underratedskill.
What a nice piece of advice togive yourself.
Speaker 2 (48:31):
I wish someone told me that when I was younger.
Well, and also in the world welive in, where everything is in
social media, sound rightssnippets, like to step back and
actually listen to whatsomeone's saying.
Go, yeah, yeah.
What's the point?
What were you trying to justtell me?
Tell me your elevator pitch.
No, stop and listen to whatthey're saying.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:49):
Amazing.
Well, thank you so much forjoining and sharing your passion
and your heart for what you do.
It is so.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Yeah, we got to have you back because obviously you
can chat for all these thingsfor a while.
I got a story and you gotstories to tell and we want to
hear it, without a doubt.
But definitely check outSmithtown Children's Foundation
and to learn about everythingthat they do for the community
here and for all the families inthe community.
It's a really big deal.
They need more people to comealongside them to help them out,
(49:18):
and if you don't have the time,then maybe you can contribute a
couple bucks and, because thatgoes a long way, always couple
Yep, yep, absolutely.
Those are the resources thatyou are putting in the hands of
people that need it most.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Charity begins at home, exactly.
I always say that Exactly so.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
I appreciate you.
Everyone needs to go find themand guys, as always, thanks for
tuning in.
And remember don't fear theprocess and don't fear grit.
We'll see you next time, Takecare.
The show is about to start in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
This is Don't Fear Great, withWabtower Mina marketing
strategies and advertisingtechnologies to help you build a
(00:22):
better business.
Welcome back to the only showon all of the interweb that
matters.
That is Don't Fear Great.
And I've got an amazing guestwith me today in studio, a dear
friend in the community andprobably one of the most
important people in ourcommunity, and I'm honored,
honestly, to have her here onthe show.
But, christine, welcome.
Why don't you introduceyourself and let everyone know
(00:43):
who you are and what yourepresent?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Thank you.
Thanks, rob.
Hi, I'm Chris Fitzgerald.
I am one of the co-founders ofthe Smithtown Children's
Foundation.
I am the executive directorcurrently.
We've been around about 15years helping local families in
the community Everything frombill paying to sending kids to
camp, to backpacks and schoolsupplies, adopting families at
(01:06):
the holidays we kind of do itall.
It's kind of somebody says Ineed help and we say let's talk
about what you need, let's talkabout how we can best help you.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Not every town has an organization like you, and if
they did, they'd be better.
But let's get to sort of thestart.
What prompted you to want tostart Smithtown Children's
Foundation?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, and I should say our legal name is Branch
Brook Children's Foundation.
And when we did that, peoplesaid so you can only help
families if they went to Branch.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Brook.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Elementary and we're like okay, we don't want to
confuse people.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
DBA.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Smithtown Children's.
Foundation so yeah, so we'reone and the same if you come
across both.
I had no intention of run acharity.
I spent 15 years on Wall Street.
My husband was an air trafficcontroller.
My kids were young.
We moved out here from NassauCounty.
I was PTA mom.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
What part of Nassau County did you guys see?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Seaford.
Oh, is that right?
Both my husband and I yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Oh okay, I actually grew up in East Meadow, so we're
both Nassau County people, Iguess.
Yeah, four, ten minutes of poor.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
That's right.
We both got on the SOB to gosomewhere, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
People are like what's the SOB?
Yeah, Seaford or StavageExpressway.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, so we moved out here.
My children were young and myneighbor's daughter at age four
was diagnosed with stage fourneuroblast.
Oh my gosh and she was a twinand she had an older sister who
was my son's age.
We saw them on the bus stopevery day and when we found out
this little girl was sick, myhusband and I said let's run a
(02:48):
fundraiser for them.
So we decided to do a golfouting, because we've done that
for other people in the past.
And as we were running the golfouting I found out two other
ladies who knew the family wereplanning a dinner dance.
So I asked the mom give me oneof their numbers.
So my name is Christine.
I called up this other womanher name is Christie and I said
(03:10):
well, that's funny, she goes.
No, it's really funny is thatthe third woman is Christina.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Oh my gosh, so we're Christine, christina and
Christie.
Yeah, gotta be kidding me Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
We were in the golf outing, we were in the dinner
dance.
Now the holidays come and we'relike we need to do something.
This little girl maybe wasn'tin school because she was sick,
and sadly, when a child is sickand they're not in school, the
kids kind of go on with theirday and don't think much about
it.
But she was a twin and she hada sibling that was three years
older.
So these kids thought aboutthis pretty much every day.
(03:39):
We said we need to do something.
So we planned a holidaybreakfast and Maureen's kitchen
actually came in and cooked forus and Jack goes deli made their
egg sandwich.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Oh my gosh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
We had music, we had Santa we did vendors in the gym
at the school.
So we did those three eventsand we were like we're finishing
each other's sentences.
My husband goes if you threeknuckleheads, don't start a
non-for-profit you are crazy.
And we're like.
I was a stay-home mom.
We had a home-based business,my husband and I.
The other lady was a teacherand the third one was a
(04:13):
stay-home mom, but she is amedical doctor.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And we were like, okay, what should we do?
So I woke up one morning andone of the Christsis not me
called me and said I couldn'tsleep last night.
And I said, yeah, I went onlineand I filed we're going to be a
charity.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Oh my gosh, you're kidding me.
Okay, we're doing this and wedid.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So yeah, and she named us Branch Brook Children's
Foundation and that's when Igot confusing.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
But I said what's?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
our mission.
So our mission is just to helplocal families in crisis by
bridging family, friends,neighbors and local businesses
to act as one in times of crisis.
So it was vague enough that wecould kind of do what we thought
we could accomplish, dependingon what the need of the family
might be.
We also people would say, oh,is it only if a child is sick?
(05:03):
Well, no, because if mom or dador the main caregiver is sick,
or a single parent and they'restruggling, that affects
everybody in the household.
So that's how we started.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Oh, my goodness, you know what they say, like you
know in life, like necessity isthe mother of invention, and it
doesn't just go with inventingthings.
It goes with also organizingcharities that field, or rather
provide a solution to, you know,serious things, and in this
case, you guys came up with theidea.
But here's the thing it's onething to come up with the idea.
It's another thing, though, tohave the people able and willing
(05:37):
to actually acute upon that,execute on that right Exactly,
and it's like the perfect threeto come together at the right
time.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And I didn't know them.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Oh my gosh Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Their children were the age of this little girl who
was sick, and my youngest wasthree years older.
So, my path probably wouldn'thave crossed them.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Wild.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Right, yeah, so that's how that happened.
And it's funny too because somy background on Wall Street I
worked in research and equityresearch, which in Wall Street
terms that's kind of like thelibrary.
It was all very serious andeverybody's researching and you
know, and they used to say to me, the woman who was my like
oversaw the research assistants.
(06:17):
She was from the South and shesaid I always know when you're
not here, chris, and I'm like.
I think she just insulted meBecause I'm loud, because I'm
loud, I don't think she was like.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
I miss you when you're not here.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Right, right, okay so my boss was moving to Texas.
He followed oil companies.
And they wanted him to be moreinvolved with the investment
banking which, if you follow oilcompanies, you go to Texas.
So I'm like, oh, am I going towork for her?
Well, he and the woman who ranwhat was called the research
meeting were conspiring behindme to bring me down to the
(06:52):
trading floor to work with herbecause she knew she was moving
on.
They told me Maureen needs helprunning the morning meeting and
being the liaison on thetrading.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Oh, interesting.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And I love.
I mean, this is where they'reall screaming.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
This is where I belong.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Right, by the way, high stress environment, though
Loved it.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Wow, loved it.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
So I worked with her for two weeks.
She took a week's vacation.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay so.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Maureen, who's going to run the meeting you are?
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Oh my goodness, I have two weeks of experience,
she goes.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
you can do this.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And I did.
And I mean, they heard it allover.
You know Sweden heard it,london heard it, they, you know
they.
Yeah, so it was, it was, it waswild.
So I was kind of the organizer.
I kind of organized the me,organized the analyst.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
And I came to the non doing the nonprofit?
Yeah, I'm like okay, I can dothis I got this.
I can do this, you know, and,and Kristi and Christina had
great creative ideas and, as yousay, got things done.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, so the three of us.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Now, at some point Kristi had to step back.
So we and we had built anadvisory board of people to help
us and we said, okay, we needto have, you know, an uneven
number on the executive board tomake decisions for voting and
who should we ask from theadvisory board?
And we asked ready KristiLynette.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Oh my gosh.
So is that like a prerequisite?
Now, in order to apply, youhave to.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
That's what Nancy Valorella said.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Oh, Nancy can never be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Until you change your name, you cannot be on the
executive board.
That goes for the rest of it.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
That is so funny.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Kristi is a teacher in the district.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Young lot of energy.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Okay.
No, I thought she was just theperfect person to step in and
fill that void where Kristi hadto step back.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
So yeah, so we laugh about that.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
And Kristina's husband is Christopher.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, how is this possible?
Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
someone told me once, and I don't want to get sappy,
but he said Christ is in all ofyour names.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Right.
I was like wow, I didn't thinkof that.
So yeah, so that makes me feel,wow, all right, well, listen,
if it's at the center of whatyou're doing, then everything's
going to be blessed.
Yeah, wow, exactly, wow, that'samazing.
Oh yeah, Do you?
I do.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Do, but at 60, I just turned 60 last month.
I'm not doing an hour and ahalf commute every day.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
No.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And it's a different world, but I learned so much I
met so many great people.
They were so good.
I spent 10 years at CreditSuisse and another five at
Deutsche Bank.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And I left before 9-11.
, thank goodness.
But I was modeling my son.
He was a baby and he was a babyFord model and we were at the
World Trade Center the daybefore for an audition.
Oh my gosh.
We were called back thatmorning and we went in Queens
and this is how old I am.
I had a cassette tape onplaying music in my truck.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I'm kidding.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
My mother called me and said did you hear what
happened?
A plane hit the world.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
You got to get out of there.
Okay, my husband's an airtraffic controller.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Yeah, soっと 잘 is what my husband would have said.
Oh, that's some cowboy.
Like these, private planesdon't always have to if they fly
through a certain altitude theydon't have to talk to the
controllers, so that's what myfirst thought?
My mother goes no, I think it'sa bigger plane, and I turned
around and if I was coming backfrom Queens, I saw all the
emergency vehicles going intothe city.
(10:04):
It still gives me chills when Isay that to this day.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Oh my gosh yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So I miss it.
I miss that fun and thatcamaraderie.
And that's why, when people say, oh, I love working from home,
I couldn't have done what I didfrom home, I wouldn't have
gotten out of it when I got outof it, so starting a
not-for-profit right yourSmithtown Children's Foundation
early on.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
what were some of the struggles that you experienced
in trying to have thisorganization run and then also
provide a solution and be aresource to the community?
What were those early strugglesthat you guys faced?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
You know we had great ideas but you have to fund them
.
They have to be funded.
So it was getting out there andletting the business community
and the small business communitybecause that's really what's in
Smithtown- a lot of smallbusinesses know who we are, what
our mission was, how we helped,who we helped and why it would
(11:07):
be beneficial for them to maybegive us support.
And you know a lot of smallbusinesses.
They want to barter things.
So, yeah, I'll take a meal forone of my families who mom is
sick.
I'll gladly take that, but Istill need to fund my mission to
pay medical bills, to pay rentor a mortgage or whatever.
So as we tried to go out to abigger companies, they're like
(11:28):
who are you and you only helpfamilies in like that small area
on the island and actually thisupset me.
But I get over things.
I have big shoulders.
I get over it easy.
I went into a TJ Maxx I can'tremember where it wasn't, it was
local but and it was around thetime when they had all the
backpacks and lunchboxes out.
(11:49):
I said oh my God, this is ajansper, these are so cheap.
I'm going to.
I had three carts of backpacksand I was going to buy them so
that when we had, you know, backto school for kids who needed
backpacks, we were ready withthe backpack.
Yeah, and I get up to theregister and I have my tax
exempt and the woman saysSmithtown Children's Foundation.
What do you do?
(12:09):
I said, oh, we help localfamilies in crisis.
She goes like only Smithtownarea.
I said yeah, right now.
She said, oh, I didn't knowSmithtown needed a charity and I
went just ring me up.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Like are you kidding me?
Like.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I just oh, okay.
Oh my goodness, so judgmental,yes Like people hurt, whether
you come from Smithtown,Brentwood, Seaford, wherever you
know, people and we havefamilies whose idea of
struggling may be different thana family struggling.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Tragedy does not discriminate, first of all,
exactly, sickness does notdiscriminate.
So that's, that's an unfair,very ignorant statement.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, you're right, you're right, it was ignorant.
Yeah, yeah, now I did havesomeone say they were doing an
event for I guess it was likechildren in Africa to provide
sneakers and clothing and stuff,and I said that's great, but I
pay to belong here, withoutmentioning names, and really
(13:07):
charity begins at home, doesn'tit?
And he said, yeah, but, chris,there's a different level of
need there.
And I said, okay, I understandyour passion and your mission
and thank you for taking thetime to explain that to me, and
they have since done many thingsfor us, but it you know,
everybody has a differentmindset.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
That's right, and that's okay.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
We are allowed to have different opinions.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's true.
Yeah, I wish.
By the way I mean, this is alla tough topic I wish more people
understood that we coulddisagree something we can agree
to disagree, we can agree.
Isn't that okay?
That shouldn't be an option.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Okay, okay, right exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
So, as for a, now you're very I would call you a
successful non-for-profit inthat you've helped so many
people you really have.
And now and we were talkingabout this before the show now
it's to the point where, whenthere is tragedy and there is a
need, people are finding you,people know to call you and for
me you fast forward now from theearly beginnings to today.
(14:03):
That tells me you're successful, because now the community
knows and you're servicing agreat need.
What did that journey look liketo get to where you guys are
today, to be able to be sort ofthat like household name?
You know, was there marketresearch?
Was there marketing?
Like, is that part of charitiesat all or not really?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Maybe for the bigger charities, but we like to make
sure that you know the bulk ofwhat's raised is going back to
the mission of helping peopleRight.
You know, when you see acharity that says, oh, 20% of
what's raised goes to the actualI don't know cancer research,
whatever, like well, 80% isadministrative.
(14:42):
We don't want to be thatcharity.
And we're small enough that wedon't have to be.
I get it when you grow, thingslike that can happen, but I want
to stay focused.
I mean, I want to be the tunnelto towers.
You know where?
What 90 cents on every dollargoes.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Oh, it's unbelievable , it's amazing what you do.
So then, how do you keep thoseadministrative costs so low and
yet so many people know aboutyou guys?
What's the secret?
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I feel like it's a little from a lot of different
people.
So you know, when you havesmall businesses I'm not going
to get a $10,000 sponsor for mygolf outing, but I might get 10
$350 T whole sponsors.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
You know.
So that kind of adds up, itbuilds good will, it.
Also I like to when we weretalking before, I like to
promote the local businessesbecause if they thrive they can
help me.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know, so.
I realized that it's a, youknow, a quid pro quo in a good
way, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
More people need to understand.
What you just said is in thateven that's true for businesses
in a competing market with othersimilar, like-minded businesses
is.
I think we're a lot ofentrepreneurs and leaders fall
short is that they look ateverything as competition and
competition is enemy.
And that's not true, actually,because the tide rises for all
(16:01):
ships.
Exactly, we should be helpingevery one of us out, even if
there's another business that'svery similar to yours, because
if we help each other out, wecreate a more, a healthier
community, a healthiermarketplace, and then there's
success for everyone.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Yeah, exactly, you know, we don't have to be in
this, separate from everything.
Yeah, there's a couple ofexamples.
I have a friend who decided tostart a nonprofit as she was
left with funds to do so.
I don't know what to do.
So I said how about?
What do you feel like she was?
Well, you do a great golfouting.
So the one year I said, okay,we'll do it together and I'll
(16:37):
kind of show you the ropes.
If you want to do a golf outingnext year and go on your own, I
won't be offended.
We'll share the proceeds, but wehave to share the sponsors that
come in the golfers that comein the donations that come in,
so you can work with otherpeople and do that we just did
our second music bingo night,and proceeds go to the
foundation, but they also go toSmithtown's IAB which is their
(16:59):
industry association advisoryboard for people who don't know
what that is, and it's a great.
I mean, our business departmentin Smithtown is ranked in the
state and these kids if you'venever heard them make
presentations when they do thebusiness Olympics, they're on
the stage in the auditorium withslide shows like at 16, 17
(17:20):
years old.
So professional.
Yeah, yeah, they do a great job,yeah so they wanted to fund
those scholarships and actuallyMary Petgraffstein was in charge
of that and she retired and Iscooped her right up to be on
our advisory board.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You're kidding.
Oh my goodness, I need youright back.
But wait a minute.
Her name doesn't sort of fallin line with everyone, no, she?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
can be on the advisory board.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Oh, there you go, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
She can play.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah .
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, so, yeah.
So she's like how about we domusic bingo night?
I?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
said okay.
So we split the proceeds.
We did one and we just didanother one.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Wow, it's a lot of fun and for me it brings in
people who may not have heardabout the foundation Like she's
got a group of girls who playbingo.
They have a name for themselves.
They call themselves the bingobabes.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
And they play bingo, music bingo.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yeah, so those are people who are like what's the
Smith Town Children's Foundation?
So yeah, so there's all thatsort of thing.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, that happened.
But yeah, there's alwayschallenges.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
There's always struggles.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
People don't understand.
People think you know, how areyou gonna help me?
What are you gonna?
How can you help this family?
I wanna keep things private.
Well, we know that we're anonprofit.
That's what.
When people apply, there's aform that says you understand,
you're not gonna hold a sly bullif we, you know, if we mention
your name.
But I've never in 15 years,mentioned anybody's name in any
(18:38):
press or in any interview.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
That didn't say yes, you can mention my name.
I understand that I've onlyknown you now for the past few
years, and the few times thatwe've have met or done something
together you do.
You honor first of all people'sprivacy, and that's one thing I
100% respect about what you'redoing is you know you can tell
you're not looking at this forpersonal gain at all.
You literally are in everysingle situation.
(19:01):
How can I make the best use ofmy time and this organization to
help solve a problem forsomeone?
And that's a very rare sort ofapproach to things.
You know and that and I and itreally is, it's extraordinary,
so I can vouch for her.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
She honors all that stuff Absolutely.
I think what I did on WallStreet has attuned me a lot to
that.
I would have had an analyst sayhey, I wanna say this about
this company.
What are your thoughts when?
Speaker 1 (19:31):
is best for me to do it.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
How is best for me to articulate it, that sensitivity
around what the message is andhow to get it, how best to get
it out there.
So, when we have these familieswho need help, I know I'm
running a business and the bestthing to do is to take advantage
, in a good way, of let me usethis story to promote what we're
(19:53):
doing.
But, at the same time, I needto be sensitive to their story
and their privacy.
So, you know, for people who say, hell, you really should tell
more of the stories, I wouldlove to do that and I guess if I
took them in it, there arefamilies who would love to get
on and tell me, hey, thefoundation did this or that for
me.
So you know, maybe we can do abetter job at that.
(20:13):
You know, to kind of helppeople understand what we do.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Yeah, and listen.
I get that because for peoplethat are not as involved as you
are and are not as close tovarious, you know, moments of
tragedy in other people's lives,they truly don't understand the
importance and of what you'redoing and they also don't
necessarily understand howdeeply of these tragedies impact
(20:37):
families.
You know, they just look at itas a singular event, but they
don't understand the dominoeffect of these tragedies and I
think that allowing families tocome in and if you're, let's say
, if a family is listening tothis right now and they're a
family that you have helped.
I wanna encourage you to findsome strength in your story and,
even if you're going through itor you've received a positive
(20:58):
outcome, one thing that you cando, I think, is to tell your
story because it will empowersomeone else, encourage someone
else, because I get we weretalking about this also is, I
think there's a lot of peoplegoing through stuff and they're
afraid to actually ask To raisetheir hand.
They're afraid they're asked forhelp, even though they're in a
(21:18):
situation where they need thehelp.
You know, in life it's eitherwhere the person that can help
or where the person that needshelp, and we all have those
moments.
We sometimes flip flops andwe've got to have some humility
and sometimes be okay to letsomeone else it's okay to not be
okay, right, exactly, and tosay I'm not okay, right, and
where we understand your tragedyand you want to be sort of
(21:39):
alone.
You don't necessarily have to gothrough it alone and that's why
your organization is brilliantbecause you allow people to
sometimes be anonymous, you canjust come as being that helping
hand to get them through thattough time.
It's really extraordinary andyou create a healthier community
because of that.
That's why I started off theshow by saying if every town had
a Smithtown Children'sFoundation, they'd be a better
(22:01):
town.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
It's funny that you say that, because back in, maybe
two years into this, there wasa woman who worked for Long
Island Business News calledBeverly Fortune and she used to
produce the Long Island women ofexcellence 52.
So they were 52 in every year.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Oh sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So and people would nominate.
So I don't remember even, itwas so long ago.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Who nominated us Like she?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
sat down with the interview and she said what do
you think is so amazing aboutwhat you're doing?
I said you know, it's notrocket science.
We run these signature events,we put the money in the kitty,
we're there as a resource for afamily in crisis and then we
talk to them and see how best wecan help them.
And she said if it were thateasy, why doesn't every town
have one?
And I was like, huh, okay.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, I get it, she has a point, she has a point.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Why doesn't I mean so ?
At that point we talked aboutlike we should have chapters.
I said all right, well, that'sgreat, but we're busy running
our own chapter, if you will,but over the years, in 15 years,
we do have six other chapters.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And they have specific missions and they're
run by six other people who havetheir own advisory board but
report back to us, kind of whatthey're doing and how can we
help and I manage their funds.
Basically, we have a chapter.
If I may, we have a chapter, aHop Hop chapter and, as a woman
who, you know, lives in Hop Hop,has a business in Smithtown and
(23:31):
said how do we get one of thesechapters in Hop?
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Hop.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
I said well, we did have one, but the lady who was
running it had to step back.
We never really kind of got itoff the ground.
I said I need somebody whoreally wants to spearhead it and
she said I'll do it.
Well, she recently had to stepback because she's a dynamo when
.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
I go get it.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
So we got another lady in Hop Hop who said I'll do
this, and she too.
her name is in Christine butshe's great, she's a dynamo and
she'll get stuff done and ourmission in Hop Hop is similar to
our mission in Smithtown.
But then we have chapters thatdo very specific things and I
love it because it's not.
(24:08):
They're not tied to well.
What town do you live in?
So Tristan's Wish is our Wishgranting chapter, and it's run
by Tristan's aunt.
Tristan was four years old whenwe had meningitis and he passed
very suddenly, oh my gosh.
And she and grandma would goaround collecting water bottles
and she would do my hair and say, wow, this foundation's a lot
(24:28):
of work.
We collect bottles in memory ofmy nephew.
I mean I would love to dosomething more, but that's too
much work.
I said, well, tell me what youwant.
We just want to put a smile ona kid's face.
I said, okay, so we created aDBA for Tristan's Wish.
So now, if I've got a familywho I need to help pay the rent
and it's the five year old'sbirthday and they want a big
(24:49):
present.
I can't justify paying the rentand buying the present.
But Tristan's Wish can buy thepresent.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Oh, yes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Then we have a chapter, and they all formed
organically.
It's not like we planned any ofit.
Silent Night run by a St Jamesman who was doing a fundraiser
with a guy he went to highschool with whose son had a
brain tumor.
Boy is now in high school.
He's doing very well.
Happy to say that.
But he said I love this, feltgreat, I want to do this.
(25:17):
All the time I said what do youwant to do?
He goes I want to adopt kids atthe families, not just kids
families.
I want to give them a kick, buttChristmas.
He said okay, so he goes.
I know what I want to call it.
I go what he goes Silent Night.
I go like KNITE.
No, like night, like SilentNight.
I go all right, whatever youwant to call it, I'm fine.
Basically, you're adoptingfamilies.
(25:37):
He goes, yeah okay, makes himhappy and it's providing joy to
him and a purpose for him.
Something that gives himpleasure.
Sadly, we have a chapter calledSmiles for Sean that is run by
Sean's mom.
Sean passed from cancer, but hemade it to his 18th birthday,
his high school graduation andhe was a junior fire explorer in
(26:00):
Smithtown.
And he managed to become afireman and so she said I just,
I want to help people navigate achildhood cancer diagnosis.
So that's what Smiles for Seandoes.
Then we lost another young manin the community, anthony, and
his mom runs Anthony's Hope.
Anthony had mental healthissues and he ended up
(26:20):
committing suicide.
And she came to me not morethan three months after and said
I have to do something.
I said what do you think?
And, honey, do you want to do ascholarship in his name?
Do you want to do a chapter?
And she goes what does thatmean?
I could do a chapter, talk tome.
So she runs the Anthony's Hopechapter which raises awareness
of mental health issues andraises awareness about suicide
(26:43):
prevention.
So that's Anthony's Hope.
And then, most recently, thelady who runs Heart, tristan's
Wish her brother passed.
There was a single dad withseven or eight kids, three of
which he adopted.
His mission was always I wantto help you know he'd give the
guy off the street the showoffice back.
(27:04):
Yeah, the kind of guy he was sowe have the heart to heart
chapter, which helpssingle-parent households.
Okay so I feel like I said, ifwe can get a vets, a pets and a
seniors chapter, we goteverything.
Yeah, yeah right.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Now.
So, being that you've helped somany people Locally, now let's
dip.
If it's okay in the community,does, does like sort of the
local Schools or even our localgovernment.
We've got a great you knowleadership team here here in the
greater town of Smithtown.
Do they bring you in tocollaborate like?
(27:41):
Is there any involvement fromthe schools or?
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Okay, yeah, but I won't yeah, okay.
Yes, the school district isamazing.
They have since our inceptionlike we went to Christie, went
to them and said, hey, do youneed backpacks and school
supplies?
So now, every year, we talk toevery guidance and social worker
in the school district.
Yeah say what do you need?
How many do you need?
We'll get it done.
We distribute it Holidays, samething.
(28:06):
Do you have families you needadopted?
I need their list as soon aspossible.
Thanksgiving anybody need ameal or a gift card for food.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Mmm that's.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
That's every year in and out and they so much
appreciate that.
And then they come to us withspecific families that have
specific issues that they justlike we don't know how to
address this.
Yep and the social workers.
They give money out of theirown pocket.
They buy things for thesepeople out of their own pocket
and and the school district, asI said, like, knows us, they
know to come to us with things,yeah and they're supportive of
(28:37):
us.
Yeah there's a young man whopassed away.
He played soccer at West andhis friends wanted to do a
soccer tournament in his memory.
And they came to us and they'relike we really want to do this,
but like we're not a club, likewe can't use the field, we're
not a club.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I said, okay, we can.
The district will like rent usthe field today.
And it could be under ourbanner and our umbrella, and
then also, when you collect cash, we can collect it.
Now.
People are getting their taxdeduction right.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
They made a donation to a charity right and some
people care about that, sure,sure.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Um, and then that funds Patrick's live a full life
scholarship in his memory, ohwow.
So so they're good to us thatway.
Yeah when we used to do ourholiday breakfast.
They were amazing.
They kind of gave us the run ofthe school.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And in the right way, so that they didn't get any
trouble with anybody.
They're not supposed to, so theschool district has been great.
Okay the town has the SmithtownYouth Bureau and they're an
amazing organization.
Yeah, collaborate with the kids.
Yeah they have their ownadvisory board.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
I asked you.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
They did a Bing basket and blankets Drive for us
.
Yeah and we were distributingthe blankets not only to our
local families.
Yeah we also work with otherpeople who deal with shelter
families.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, domestic violence, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
And we were giving to them to distribute to families
and the baskets.
We can always use basketsbecause we are always making
raffle baskets for something.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yeah, I, I remember last year yeah, what, when you
attended the opening day forNesca's athletic association,
which you're invited back toalways?
Yeah, you had the baskets thereand, by the way, they were a
big hit.
Exactly, they couldn't wait togive you guys money to get a
ticket for, to win one of thebaskets.
Like they're really lovely,like they're amazing.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I make most of them.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Do you really?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Yeah, I.
That feeds my creative need andand also my shopping need,
because I was always a bit of ashop of holly.
Yep, just ask my husband.
Yeah, so I'll go intoMarshall's and go.
Oh, this would be great in abasket.
Yes you know, we get a lot ofdonations.
Yeah but you have to supplementthe basket of course, something
that catches the eye or youknow it's on little Chachki.
(30:45):
Yeah it says Yankee candleExcellent.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Yeah, so, yeah, so we do the baskets.
But the youth bureau is good tous.
We did a Smithtown.
Youths got talent a number ofyears ago.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Oh, okay, okay, like we again yeah, it was their idea
.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
We're like, okay, how can we help them realize this?
Yes now they're doing, they'regonna do collect prom dresses.
Okay like a shopping nightwhere the girls can come in and
you're kidding dressed and theysaid can you do you?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
want to.
Oh, so we're just working thatout now, Sure but it's, it's a
partnership.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, and, like I mentioned the IAB, that we
Partner with them to help fundboth of our scholarships.
And also the town.
You mentioned the townofficials, the town government.
We just did the pickleballtournament.
Leslie and John Kennedy camedown to check.
Oh yeah, okay sweet and thetown officials.
They adopt families Every year.
(31:38):
Oh wow, they take on family orwow and also the sunrise Rotary
and the Regular Rotary.
The Smithtown Rotaries areamazing, you know, and and even
I'm part of the WisconsinChamber Like I can't join them
all.
Yeah, yeah, yeah but they knowhow to get me.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Sure, you know, they know if they need me, sure, I
want you to speak at this.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
I want you to talk about this upcoming.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Yes, can you help us with something?
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
So, yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Yeah, I mean this, this, the, the town, the
community.
This is also a special place,your special person.
You got a great organizationand we're fortunate to live in a
really great community.
Yeah, and it seems like there'sa lot of people willing to give
a helping hand.
And one thing I noticed is, youknow, at the events you have,
there's a lot of people, itseems, that are like really
excited about helping you withvarious stuff.
(32:32):
Like how did you get to that?
Like how did people just sortof buy into this philosophy, the
, the mission that you guys have, and why are so many people
inspired and excited to, to be apart of this?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
It's.
It's so funny.
I always, when a new businesscomes in, yeah, and they reach
out to us, I'm like, yes, we'redoing something right.
They want to know how they canget involved or you know.
I just had them, subaru dotheir operation, warm coats.
Oh, okay and we, they deliveredyeah.
I think 150 coats to us that,oh my gosh we're gonna
distribute in the fall.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Yeah, it's too late for this year.
They do it in January.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, we kind of like to give them out in December,
so so, yeah, so, so there'sthings like that, but I feel
like it was, just, as I said,very organically grown like
let's do this.
Oh, hey, did that work?
Yeah, that's good, we should dothat again.
Yeah and as we ran, we also.
You know, the holiday breakfast, for example, is in December.
How many things are in Decemberin the community?
(33:32):
Oh, a ton look at this fairthat that yeah, yeah you know
everybody has something going on.
So we would say, okay, when isit?
When one of these other eventsor let's book are so far in
advance that people will see?
Speaker 1 (33:44):
this is when theirs is.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Let's stay away from that.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Yeah, so just to be respectful.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Yeah of what else was going on, cuz I don't want to
go ahead, I don't want to wasteanybody's time.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
The chamber did a Smithtown.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Chamber would do like a ball.
I can't think of what it wascalled.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
And we would say Barbara, when is that?
Because, we want to do ourtasting event and we don't want
to conflict with when you'redoing your event yeah.
So it's just aboutcommunicating with people.
And again I think back to mytrading for days.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What do you want to get on?
You know, yeah, but yeah, soyou brought up some of the
chambers.
You got NIST concert Chamber ofCommerce, you got Smithtown
Chamber of Commerce.
Um, especially, let's talkabout, I guess, smithtown.
We're in Smithtown, there's theword Smithtown's in your name,
right, so let's talk about thatchamber.
I noticed there's somethingdifferent and unique about the
Smithtown Chamber than otherchambers that I have been
(34:34):
introduced to over the yearsfrom all over the place, not
just in this in Suffolk County,but NASA County and even out of
the state.
There seems to be somethingdifferent about this particular
chamber or the people in it.
Is it the town?
Is it the community?
You know what they're soinvolved.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
I think it's, uh, I think it's a, it's a good energy
.
There's a lot of, there's a lotof offshoots.
There's um the young youngprofessionals young
professionals advisory board orwhatever.
So you know they're dynamic andthey want to get more done.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
And then they do their, their normal events, like
the running of the bull thatthey do every year, right, yeah.
Um, we even I mean, I talkabout the town, I'm sorry, it's
not the chamber, but the seniorcenter came to us this year and
said we want to adopt a family.
Oh wow, I said well you got alot of people and you know, do
they want to shop or theylooking for gift cards.
I go maybe the best way to dothis this year we have an upside
(35:27):
down Christmas tree.
It's literally upside down andwe say turn someone's life right
side up.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Hang ornaments on it with a gift card with our
mailing address on there, oh wow.
So they did a drive for thatand they she called me our
seniors.
We had $2,100 in gift cards.
They they collected from theseniors.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Amazing Senior center , amazing.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
And I did nothing.
I gave you the tree.
I set it up with the ornaments.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
I gave everything back to me and I got picked
those up, probably December 20thand then December 22nd, where
the apartment fires at Avalon.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Oh gosh.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Eight families displays.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yes, yes, that was bad.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
They needed everything.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I didn't want to get into buying clothes for people I
didn't know or taking loadingdonations, because we've done
that too, when there's a familyout there, of course, of course.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
But we said gift cards, gift cards gift cards, oh
yeah.
Yeah, we got pretty much toevery family.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
That's amazing.
I remember that.
I mean that smoke was buildingeverywhere and everyone was
chatter chattering Like what'sgoing on here.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Yeah, yeah, and they wouldn't, they wouldn't.
I said they wouldn't let thebus in from the school.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, but you were like right there.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yeah Well, and I live across the street, like behind
the water mill, so I amliterally right there.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Oh, so that's why I'm like because I saw a picture
I'm like how is she alreadythere?
I'm like she's like superwoman.
I'm not even kidding.
I remember seeing a picture andI'm like I can't believe she's
already there.
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Well, the people were so grateful.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
And I put it out there on social, because people
this is the thing People want tomobilize.
And again I go back to mytrading floor.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
A salesman would say do you see this stock?
Is this analyst going to talk?
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Trader, do you see this stock?
I have a position in this.
The investment banker are wegoing to talk about, so now I go
to the analysis what are?
We doing?
Did you talk to the company?
What are you hearing?
Let's get the and they're beingpulled in the direction.
They're phones ringing from allthese people and I say turn off
your phones.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Figure out what you want to say Focus.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
They get down here on the Hooten Hall of the Squawk.
Box and tell everybodysimultaneously Right right,
right so when something likethat happens.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I know I'm mobile, I know how to mobilize.
I don't find that an issue, sothat's exactly what I did, and
around Facebook I said look, I'mgetting more information.
Everyone wants to help.
They don't know what they needright now.
They don't even know when theycan get back in.
They don't know what'ssalvageable, what's not.
They're talking to the RedCross, they're figuring out
where they're going to live.
I have dishes, I have furniture.
(37:42):
That's wonderful.
But they may not know if theyneed that for another week or
two.
So I immediately put up aFacebook fundraiser and then I
gave people updates.
So I think the communityappreciated that we want to help
.
We don't know how to help andnow there's a place that we can
go to get updates to see what'sgoing on.
And so we did gift cards,maria's Mexican and Wisconsin.
(38:06):
She gave me gift cards for alleight families to come have a
nice meal.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Which I thought was very sweet.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
We have great restaurants.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
We have a lot of great businesses.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
The best restaurants.
I will say yes.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Really giving, and I'm not a restaurateur, but I
know how small their profitmargins are and how what their
costs are like these days.
So I appreciate everything theydo for us, but that could be a
whole nother podcast, so we didgift cards.
Maria stepped up.
(38:39):
We later on coordinated withpeople who had furniture and who
needed furniture.
But in the immediate aftermathof this it was December 22nd
four of the families had kids.
We coordinated presents.
The fire department gave megifts for them.
They collected, donatedWisconsin collected funds and
(39:00):
wrote a check to go to thefamilies.
Just amazing.
We had Santa go to the hotel onChristmas Eve, did you?
Speaker 1 (39:08):
really For one of the families.
Oh wow, I love the hotel.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
The mom said to me she's in the hotel.
She thinks she's on holiday.
She wants to go in the pool andI had to say, honey, you don't
even have a bathing suit, andit's December, I can't get one.
I said here, here's an Amazongift card.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Go buy one, you'll have a bathing suit.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
She's like thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
So you know we did that kind of thing.
So it's the kind of stuffyou're not going to, it's not
going to be on paper in ourstatement of okay, this is what
we'll do for you.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
It's just kind of you love this, don't you?
I do?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
I do.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
I really love you know it's interesting, like for
me, I look at various things inlife like a chest match.
That's just how my brain worksright and I could tell, like you
really love to problem solve,don't you, you could tell.
Like you have this analyticalmind and you love being able to
say like all right, here's afamily.
I see their struggles, I canhelp them.
Let me do my thing.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Like you can't wait, let me get in there.
Well, listen, with the house myhusband goes, I'll get out of
the way.
I mean he knew it was threedays before Christmas.
We're making cookies.
I'm trying to cook.
I'm like okay, what can we doto help you?
He knows, at this point, youknow just get out of your way,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
All right.
So two more questions for you.
One I'll put you on the hotseat.
I'm going to answer ask, sit upstraight.
This is going to be a randomquestion from the community that
they, they, you know theydelivered a bunch of questions
and so you're going to get arandom one.
So it could be anything.
I like that.
But first let's talk about andlet's just really break this
down.
Local terms are very direct.
(40:38):
People that are listening,they're inspired right now.
I have no doubt they're likewow, this is amazing, I want to
get involved Right.
So, for someone who's listening, how can someone get involved?
And then, what's the best waythat people can help?
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Okay.
So to get involved multipleways volunteer at an event and
we, we work with a lot of highschool kids, middle school kids
at the pickle bolts ornament,helping us.
I mean never too young or tooold to be a volunteer for us.
Attend the events, sponsor anevent.
I always I tell my advisoryboard look, I can't keep going
(41:17):
to the same restaurants andbusinesses I frequent for that
$25, $50, $100 gift card for ourraffles.
You go to different restaurantsthan me.
You asked your restaurants.
You're a customer of theirs, sothat's always helpful.
If you want to be, maybe, onour advisory board and help in
that way, always, never, willnever turn down promoting new
(41:42):
businesses if they help us inour mission.
And in fact, when we did thepickleball tournament, I had
been trying to get with themanager at pickle and pour for
near a year since they opened,because I'm like they're a new
business, people need to knowabout them.
Well, the reason they couldn'tget to him is because they were
so busy.
Pickleball people are crazy forpickleball.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
It's the hottest sport right now.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Yeah, it's crazy.
And then when we set thetournament, they were amazing to
us.
I mean, basically no memberscould play all day because we
took their courts for the dayand they were so generous to us.
But my point is, it filled upin like two weeks and they
basically you know, they didn'tknow me, but they were told this
(42:25):
is the Smithtown Children'sFoundation.
They have local families and nowthey're like we want to get
involved, we want to do more, wewant to sponsor other events.
So if you are a local business,you know a local business, you
work at a local business and youwant to help raise your profile
, let us help you.
Obviously, we want your help inreturn.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
We want reciprocal.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
But those are really the best ways to do it.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Then also give the website, if you could, and other
means of contact.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Yes, yes, you can always.
The website issmithtownchildrenfoundationcom.
My email and cell phone is allover that.
It's the one that's fit.
Fitzybbcf at optonlinenet.
You'll always reach me there.
We're on Instagram, we're onFacebook.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
We have multiple pages out there Now for people
that maybe don't have the timeto get involved, but they do
want to be able to help youfinancially.
Is there the means of donatingon your website as well?
Yes, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
On the Smithtownchildren's Foundation
there's a button right at thetop that says donate.
You can make it a I love Tunnelto Towers.
Does there $11 a month, thoserecurring donations?
Even if it's $2 a month,whatever it is it's income
that's coming in that helps funda 99% volunteer organization.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
Holy cow, that's amazing.
And then upcoming events.
What's the most immediate needthat you have right now, whether
it be event-based orfamily-based, what is something
that we can help as a communitytoday?
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Okay, so the event that's coming up March 2nd is a
polar plunge.
I will not be plunging.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
I run the event but I do not plunge.
I got you.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
But last year we had 100 people do it.
Wow, there was a ton of fun.
The Smithtown Bay Yacht Clublets us host it there.
So, for people who do thesepolar plunges.
We were told look, they'regoing to come in, they're going
to get undressed, they're goingto run in the water, they're
going to come out, change theirsocks, put a hat on and leave,
it'll be quick.
Yeah Well, the Smithtown BayYacht Club lets us come inside,
(44:27):
and then they come inside.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
We have raffle baskets, we have hot cocoa and
coffee and we have donuts fromduck donuts and bagels from
Boulevard Bagels and coffee fromSweep Waters.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
So they want to come back inside.
So it's a fun event, alwayslooking for sponsors.
We get good local press comesdown there.
The fire department puts theboat in the water.
It makes it very official.
So that's a great event, evenif you want to come and just
laugh at somebody who's lookedto do it.
Amazing, because I don't.
And then, as far as non-eventbut family related, we are
(45:01):
trying to do something for ayoung lady whose dad is very
sick and we're not sure what theevent's going to be yet, but we
are going to have a fundraiser.
So anytime, look, you candonate at any time to the
website.
But when we have events,something may move you.
I may not put the young lady'spicture on it.
(45:23):
When you're a high schoolstudent.
You really don't want yourpicture all over the place.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
You're someone's doing a fundraiser for you.
So again, it's the privacy.
We want to try and keep itprivate, but we may put
something out about that eventin the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Gotcha, stay tuned for that, all right.
So actually I'm going to addone more before I get to the
last question.
I want to give you anopportunity, if you know, give
your elevator pitch rightSomeone who has never met you
before, you've never heard ofthe organization, although I
find that hard to believe right,but they've never heard of it
before and you got them for likea minute.
(45:58):
You've got 60 seconds of theirtime.
What do you say to them thatexplains who you are, what you
represent and the importance ofwhat you do?
Speaker 2 (46:08):
And again, this is what I had made the analysts do
when I worked on a trading floor.
I don't want to hear youfive-minute story.
What's your pitch?
Let's go.
Traders and salesmen want oneminute explanation.
The traders want the 10 secondyeah.
So the Smith Town Children'sFoundation is a non-for-profit,
15 years strong, helps localfamilies in crisis, from bill
(46:30):
paying to sending kids to campand preschool.
We supply backpacks and schoolsupplies, thanksgiving meals and
gift cards.
We adopt families at theholidays and we're there as a
resource for the things thatmaybe people don't understand,
they need or know that there'sthat resource out there.
Yeah, really, that's my pitch.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
Well done.
And then the question thatsomeone asked is you can go back
16 years and you've got a gift.
You can go to 16 years and goto yourself that's from 16 years
ago but you only have 30seconds to talk to yourself,
right, and it's a privateconversation.
The genie just takes you backthere, right?
(47:14):
What's the one thing thatyou're going to tell yourself
that's going to help you do aneven better job today?
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Oh wow, that's a doozy right.
Speaker 1 (47:23):
That's a doozy right.
A line blown yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
But one thing that's going to help me do a better job
today Correct.
Well, I think in my own personalfeeling is that I could have
better listening skills.
As much as I feel like I, whensomeone talks, I hear what
they're saying.
I don't want to jump on them.
I feel like sometimes I jump onthem because what I want to say
(47:47):
is so important.
I have to say this, but I feellike my excuse is it's because I
don't want to forget.
I'm going to forget what I want, what my train of thought was,
but usually it's probablybecause I'm not listening as
well as I could be.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
Yeah, that's actually .
That's really good advice.
You know, I recently had aconversation with someone
somewhat on this topic and theyalso gave an answer that was not
typical to how people typicallyrespond, because a lot of
responses that I've heard in thepast had to send her around
like the one crazy liketechnology or education or thing
(48:20):
that'll make me more money.
But it's so nice and refreshingto hear things like that
because I think it's underrated.
Listening is an underratedskill.
What a nice piece of advice togive yourself.
Speaker 2 (48:31):
I wish someone told me that when I was younger.
Well, and also in the world welive in, where everything is in
social media, sound rightssnippets, like to step back and
actually listen to whatsomeone's saying.
Go, yeah, yeah.
What's the point?
What were you trying to justtell me?
Tell me your elevator pitch.
No, stop and listen to whatthey're saying.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:49):
Amazing.
Well, thank you so much forjoining and sharing your passion
and your heart for what you do.
It is so.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Yeah, we got to have you back because obviously you
can chat for all these thingsfor a while.
I got a story and you gotstories to tell and we want to
hear it, without a doubt.
But definitely check outSmithtown Children's Foundation
and to learn about everythingthat they do for the community
here and for all the families inthe community.
It's a really big deal.
They need more people to comealongside them to help them out,
(49:18):
and if you don't have the time,then maybe you can contribute a
couple bucks and, because thatgoes a long way, always couple
Yep, yep, absolutely.
Those are the resources thatyou are putting in the hands of
people that need it most.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Charity begins at home, exactly.
I always say that Exactly so.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
I appreciate you.
Everyone needs to go find themand guys, as always, thanks for
tuning in.
And remember don't fear theprocess and don't fear grit.
We'll see you next time, Takecare.
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