September 8, 2024 • 20 mins
Curious about the journey from the corporate world to nonprofit success? Join us as Cathy Del Piore of the Grace Foundation reveals how she transitioned from the glitz and glamour of Madison Square Garden and Radio City to making a heartfelt impact in the autism community. Cathy shares her initial uncertainties and the pioneering strategies she used to expand the foundation's events. From her first Halloween festival to introducing sponsorships, Kathy’s stories highlight the transformative role of community support and the joy she finds in her work.
Get the behind-the-scenes scoop on how Grace Foundation meticulously prepares for its festive holiday events. We discuss everything from the great Christmas tree debate to the creative themes that keep visitors coming back year after year. You'll also learn about upcoming celebrations like the Halloween event on October 19th and the Christmas tree lighting on November 30th. Don't miss our lighter moments, including a funny blooper story and the importance of staying updated via Grace of NY’s website and social media. This episode is packed with insights and enthusiasm, perfect for anyone interested in the world of event planning and community engagement.
📍 Visit GRACE Foundation of NY: https://www.graceofny.org/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hi everybody.
I'm Brian Licata with MarvelConsults, and I'm here today
with Kathy Del Piore of theGrace Foundation.
Nice to have you, kathy, thanksfor I'm so happy to be here
today at Grace.
Well, I mean, yeah, that's kindof like a little inside joke.
So we're actually here todayfilming at the Grace podcast
studio, which means what?
Do you walk about?
100 feet.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Just about outdoors A little scary, but I did it.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
So I'm a guest at your place, but you're a guest
on this podcast today.
Love that Right.
That's a little weird.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
But it's good, it works.
It works for me, so I'm glad wehave a podcast to do this, so
that's great.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It's nice to see the place get used.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It finally looks good .
Needs to be vacuumed, but we'regood.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
We're good.
So now, how long have you beenat the Grace Foundation?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I have been at Grace eight years so you know it was
funny because our chairman,michael Lonza, a friend for
years, said to me you knowthere's an opening.
Why don't you come to Grace?
You'll love it?
And I kept on saying no, it'slike not, it's not for me.
I don't know autism, I don'tknow.
I don't know the business.
(01:12):
I never.
You know, it was never anonprofit.
It was always at Corporate USA,madison Square Garden, Radio
City, doing big events.
It scared me.
But you know, eight years laterI'm here.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It scared me, but you know, eight years later I'm
here.
So you went from Radio CityMadison Square Garden, then to
the Grace Foundation.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, I had you know, a little like consulting in
between, yeah, but came here,was a little nervous, never did
anything in Staten Island, youknow, and knew no one really
because I was always city bound.
So getting to know people,getting to have relationships
and realizing it really isfulfilling, I mean.
I really mean that I wasnervous at first because knew
(01:52):
nothing about the diagnosis ofautism.
I obviously grew up with it butdidn't know as much and you
really basically have to beschooled on it, get to know the
parents, get to know each kidand then realize what do we need
, what do we need to do to growit?
We're Greece, but we're small.
And how do I take my knowledgeof what I've done in Madison
(02:14):
Square Garden?
And my expertise came fromcreating events, creating shows,
creating people to getinterested in what you're doing,
not just selling tickets, butnow it's actually selling
services, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So when you came here , you came here as the event
person.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
As the event person Did.
They have a lot of events backthen.
We had and the board did it.
We had the gala and I thinkthere was a picnic and that was
it.
And I think Barbara De Amoraused to do a crop like
scrapbooking, which was reallysuccessful, and she did a picnic
and they had this yearly galaand nothing else.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
So now most nonprofits literally spend all
year long planning events, rightGoing from one event to the
next event, to the next, and soback then Grace had one to two
events.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Exactly, and they depended on the contracts and
maybe small donations here andthere.
The board actually donated alot and I remember coming in
saying, hey, let's do like aHalloween event and let's get
some sponsorship.
Sponsorship what is sponsorship?
We never asked anybody formoney to sponsor an event and
(03:25):
that's how it started, and Ithink my first person I reached
out to was Phil at Empire and hesaid congratulations, finally,
someone's asking me for money tosponsor an event.
I thought that was crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So most nonprofits run events because it's like
that create awareness and bringin money, right, right.
So I mean starting almost fromscratch, you had a clean slate.
It wasn't like you had allthese people who had done years
of an event and you couldn'ttouch it.
Everything kind of became howyou wanted it to go, right,
exactly so.
The Halloween was your firstevent.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It was my first.
It was like a full picnic, youknow.
So calling Ari Emma's to getpumpkins donated.
I full picnic, so calling AriEmma's to get pumpkins donated.
I was just calling everybody, Iwas on my own, I was a team of
one, got some sponsors, dollarsand created a great fun day and
then we kind of built on it forTrunk or Treat Halloween
experience.
Then I went into other eventsand we just kept on growing that
(04:20):
way.
So was there a golf outing?
Back then we had somebody elsesupported us by doing a golf
outing and we just showed up and, you know, just had lunch and
did nothing.
And then we said, why aren't wedoing this?
As you know, our own event, andthat's how we did it, and Frank
Biglione from our board lovesgolf, knew golf, helped us with
(04:42):
that and we have a great yearlygolf.
I say always great lunch and,by the way, there's golf and
that's how we do things.
We do things to have fun.
We make a lot of money, don'tget me wrong, but we actually do
for all the right reasons.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So, with the different events that you run, I
mean, what's like the startuptime, Like how much lead time do
you need to actually plan anevent?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah Well, that's a good one Sometimes one day.
Brian, you know the gala wealways plan in our head.
Next year it's April 4th orwhatever, but there's some
events.
We just did the Christmas inJuly, I think.
We had one month and we put ittogether.
(05:25):
Was it a moneymaker?
Probably not, but it was ourfirst annual.
Next year we'll get sponsorsand that's how you grow it.
You can't always expect everyevent to make money.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Did it build awareness.
It did Right, so that's whereit goes back and forth because
hopefully from that awarenessmore money comes down the road.
Right, exactly Right.
But I mean, okay, so a monthlytime to plan that event, right,
but then during that time youhave other things you have to do
.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Right, exactly.
I mean, I'm supposed to berunning an organization Listen,
I can't help it.
Running events and doing eventsand working with the team that
I have is the best part of it.
But yeah, we you know, makingdog biscuits, candles, podcast
interviews, planning golf,planning a Halloween event,
(06:11):
planning a holiday Christmasevent all at the same time.
So it's always busy.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
So how many events do you think you have right now on
the docket for a year?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Oh, I forgot the marathon.
Two marathons, no.
From now until the docket, fora year.
Oh, I forgot the marathon.
Two marathons, no, from nowuntil the end of December.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Even if we did like 2024, all of 2024.
Oh God, it ranges.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
I think we would have at least 15 events.
I mean, you have the small onesyou talk about Raymar Flanagan.
They'll call We'll do like a,we're going to do an art exhibit
.
That's new.
We have the big ones, like theseasonal, the five or six, so,
and we throw in other things andeverything else in between.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And then you have all the smaller events, like the
virtual bingo.
Oh the bingo.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And we're going to do bingo again here.
So, yeah, bingo is always.
It's like a staple.
We created our audience.
We're going to continue becausepeople love it, so we'll
continue with it.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And then included in the events are like all these
little things that you probablydon't even consider, events Like
you have the two, the webseries Dan on the Street, grace
10314.
And those have weekly orbi-weekly events going out to
restaurants and doing otherthings.
So we take it from 15 to like50.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I think so, now that you say it that way, we do Every
day there's something.
Well, there's still a lot ofplanning that goes into it,
right?
Oh, so much planning becauseyou have to say there could be a
cancellation, we have to changethe times, we have to make sure
the video crew is there, wehave to make sure sometimes our
participants are okay to go thatday.
So there's always something andthere's always obstacles and
(07:42):
there's always something youhave to figure out.
But that's every day here atGrace.
There's never downtime.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
How do you pick events?
I mean, I'm going to say besuccessful, but how do you pick
an event?
That's not something thateverybody's doing.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Well, yeah, you just don't.
You just don't do it here.
I mean, yeah, I meaneverybody's also golf outing.
So we do our golf outing with alittle bit more.
You try to add more to it.
Your golf outing is likesomething on every hole.
Right, exactly, you make it funand this year it's like, okay,
what could we do that we didn'tdo last year?
(08:17):
It's great, you put creativeminds together and you try it.
You try it out Everybody's.
It's great if somebody followsyour lead and does something, so
that means I guess you're doingsomething right.
I have no problem saying I'velooked at other things in the
past that worked for me in abigger situation like Madison
Square Garden, and saying, well,how can we replicate that?
Yeah, you know, we've hadevents like I talked about the
ice skating outside and we didit.
You know Rapachulo had hisGleiss people they call the ice
(08:41):
people, but you try to createsomething that you.
It's never.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Well, I mean.
So Christmas in July that justpassed you had the blow-up rides
, you had the vendors, you hadfood, you had the Gleiss Right,
and at different times therewere people on the Gleiss and
then other times there weren'tRight, but you took a chance
Right and I think that's part ofhaving events, having
fundraisers, trying somethingdifferent that other people
(09:09):
don't do Right, and sometimesalmost hoping that you strike
gold.
You hope so.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And then sometimes you don't Right.
And then sometimes you just doevents for the kids.
Yeah, you just do it becauseyou know you're giving back
something.
And next year I'm going to saywe'll take some deer and we'll
create reindeer baby.
We could do so many differentthings.
To me, the sky's the limit.
Whatever you can do within abudget, you help keep within
(09:36):
that budget.
Sometimes you don't.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
But I mean some of the events are big, I mean like
breaking the Guinness WorldRecords.
Those are big, big events,right, and I have to say that
there's a lot more planning thatgoes into that than into trunk
retreat.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, trunk retreat is candy and you know costumes.
Breaking the world record is,uh, getting the adjudicator
there.
Making sure you have the peopleto break a record permits, uh,
marketing.
There's so much involved inthat day.
You just, you know, hold yourbreath until it's over so how do
you build on trunk retreat?
Speaker 1 (10:12):
What else can you add to it?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Well, I think this year we're doing something.
We're adding something whichwill be fun.
We're adding a haunted I don'twant to say an adult, it's a
scarier version.
We're bringing in a hauntedhouse, so during the day we have
the trunk retreat for the kids,a sensory friendly type of
walkthrough for the hauntedhouse and later on be prepared,
because I know I'll be screamingthrough that house and it's, I
(10:37):
think, the first ever here in anon-profit that will do
something like that.
I think, I don't think I don'tthink there has been.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
I know, um, what.
You have the guy who does thehaunted cemetery tours, right.
Right, I've seen fairy walksdid something, chrysler
Mansion's done something, thenthere's just all the people who
do things out of their houses.
Right, that's true, but I don'tthink a nonprofit has done like
a real haunted house or a scarytrail or anything like that.
(11:05):
Have you seen this property?
Well, so years ago, literallylike 20 years ago, I mean, I
remember we came here for theydid have something inside Colony
Hall.
They had a haunted thing inColony Hall.
But this campus is scary on agiven day, any given day, Every
day, Colony Hall.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Actually, if you talk to him there's like tunnels
right under the stage, so likeif you go through the tunnels
and we should, or maybe we'llsend someone we don't like to go
through because I don't thinkyou'll ever come out, but he
said you could walk through.
It was like years ago they usedto bring in you know, I don't
know what they used to bringthrough All the buildings were
connected, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Right.
So there was the crematoriumwhen this was fully functional,
even across the street,everything was connected.
Even across the street,everything was connected.
And I want to say that, whetherit's the History Channel or A&E
, they have actually filmed somelike haunted Staten Island or
ghost series on these locations,you know, because there are so
(12:05):
many people who have died here.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Right, and yeah, that's true, we're in the
tuberculosis center andbasically everybody did go there
to die.
We have friendly spirits, we do.
They close our doors.
They there's orbs, there'sthings, there's sounds, there's,
but we're kind of getting usedto it.
So why not bring it togetherfor halloween and see what
happens?
Speaker 1 (12:26):
yeah, I mean across the street.
I know people go in all thetime with like gopros and other
things in film.
I've been in one or two of thebuildings here that you know, I
mean, are just creepy.
You can feel it, yeah, yeah,the building next to you is just
like oh, no, yeah, it's like ahorror movie, right.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, I'm not doing it.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
So you keep building on to the events that you have
and with building on, you'reinviting in more people, not
just participants and thefamilies but you get in the
community involved.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah, you hope so.
I mean it's out open to thepublic.
You always say it's sensoryfriendly for those you know with
autism, but we want everybodyto come here and and to get to
know us and to spread the word.
And you know, that's why we dodifferent events during the year
.
So christmas should be open toeverybody.
Halloween, of course, the gala,yes, of course, all of those
events.
We want everybody to come toget to know us and to appreciate
(13:19):
what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
So last year you did the first Christmas event here,
right?
I mean like true Christmasevent.
Yes, Tree lighting, everythingelse, How's that tree doing
Tree's dead.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Tree's gone.
Yeah, it didn't, it didn't.
It's hard to say dug up thetree, we're gonna put another
tree, but it's gonna work.
We should plant it now, right.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I don't know if you plant a tree or if you just go
fake.
I mean, it would've, maybewould've worked, like if green
thumb no, it's not happening.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
So if we have to dig a hole every year and put a tree
in, we'll do it.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Last year's event.
You had a couple hundred peoplehere.
We did Right.
So I mean, honestly, peoplecome out.
You know, if you're planting atree, it's not going to be a
hundred foot tree.
It's not like you know, goingto the city and seeing the tree.
No, no, but this was still areally nice thing.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
It was nice because the whole place is decorated.
Yeah, you know, we have lightseverywhere.
This year we have this brandnew outdoor.
I don't know what we're goingto call it Maybe you know the
Grace House, whatever and we'regoing to decorate it like
Terrace on, you know, Terrace onthe Park, Terrace on the Green,
which one is?
Speaker 1 (14:25):
it.
Terrace on the Green.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yes, Candyland.
So if we have an eight-foottree, so be it.
Maybe we'll get a 10-foot treeor a 12-foot tree.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Well, I mean, look, the property looked beautiful, I
mean with all the Christmaslights and the people you know.
I mean, like you said, you keepbuilding on it, you keep adding
other things.
More people come in becausethey want to see it.
Um, halloween and christmas areso weird you can never have
enough things to do.
Right, like, yeah, we go toduiker heights, we look at the
lights.
(14:59):
Uh, we drive around the island,we look at the lights, both
halloween and christmas.
Right, so you know, like peopledo want to see things they do.
This is almost this weird areaon the island where there's
nothing.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
There's nothing.
It's yeah, really, we're inwood, so we're in the green, so
you know.
So we'll decorate now forHalloween soon I think and then
we'll take it down and startdecorating for Christmas,
because it's still Thanksgiving,like right in between, you know
.
But people do drive by andthey're curious because they see
the lights, they see somethinghappening.
So that's a good thing, right.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Or a family member to spend to show up?
No, right, and I think that'swhat kind of brings people in,
where most of the places on theisland are really only open for
the participants' families.
Uh-huh, you know, and with theexception of golf outings, golf
outings are the only one eventwhere everybody gets invited,
right, but the more things youkeep doing, you know, I mean,
you've got the space, could youdo a Valentine's dance now?
(16:01):
Well, the space.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
could you do a Valentine's dance now?
I said, well, why not?
We can Sure, really you coulddo anything.
If you plan it right, anythingcould work out.
There's always a market forsomething or a holiday, or we
make up our own holiday.
We could do it.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
So if you keep looking at adding events, how
soon?
Until there's just no room toadd more.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I don't know, maybe you have to eliminate one, add
another, kind of rotate it seewhat works for everybody, or
just keep it coming, you know.
But no, there has to be a limit.
You can't do too many thingsbecause I feel like then people
might say, you know, is it goingto be the same as the last?
Or, oh, I wonder what they did.
Maybe they did somethingdifferent?
I think they're.
(16:43):
You know, we still have to,like, keep a limit on something
but not even that.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I mean sponsors, yeah sure, going after the same
people, right you know.
Getting families to come tothings is one thing, right you
know I mean, there's a cost witheverything that you do with
everything yeah, so I mean,listen, I think a seasonal, if
everybody knows four seasons,there's four major events.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
people plan on it To me instead of going other places
, other, you know Jersey, comehere, you know, enjoy it here.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So the next two big events are going to be Halloween
and then Christmas.
Yes, so when is your treelighting in Christmas Tree
lighting?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
is November 30th it's a Saturday, if I'm not mistaken
Five o'clock.
Here we're going to have WinterWonderland, candyland, santa,
santa, in here, the treelighting probably.
Well, we don't have igloos thisyear, but we'll have ice cream,
maybe some vendors.
It's a lot of fun.
Do you have to go on toregister?
(17:48):
Do you just show up for thatthis year?
Last year, I don't think weregistered.
Last year it was just showingup.
But this year maybe we'll dosome sort of registration.
So we'll know, because maybewe'll have other things, maybe
we'll have a line.
I don't know.
I don't know.
That's a good question.
I don't know if it should justbe open to everybody and then
see what happens, and then wecould do a vendor day, sure, but
(18:08):
everything will be on thewebsite anyway.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
What's the?
Speaker 2 (18:10):
website.
What is it?
It's just go to graceofnyorg.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Okay, so graceofnyorg yes, and then Halloween is
going to be what?
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Halloween is going to be what Halloween is going to
be October 19th, so that'sSaturday.
I think it's the 19th.
Is the 19th a Saturday?
Sounds right.
Yes, during the day it'll beoutside, trunk or treat, and
then going into, like maybe 7 to11, at night, we have our
haunted Halloween.
I'm going to call it a mansion,but we'll see what happens.
And that's going to be aticketed event.
(18:40):
That will be.
There'll be limited tickets.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
So I think if you're planning something, plan it now,
I think tickets are going onsale, probably this week or soon
, so we're getting it out there,okay.
So I mean lots of events, lotsof things to do If you're
looking for Halloween or ifyou're thinking ahead to
Christmas.
Visit graceofnyorg, check outtheir socials, get tickets, come
(19:04):
to the event or just spread theword and reshare it.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Right, we're always on social.
Every day there's something new.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So this is great.
So if you have questions aboutGrace of NY, their services or
how you can participate, visittheir website.
I'm sure there's ways they cancontact you and your staff
directly.
Right, we will do that that ofcourse we'll call you.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
We always do you know and there's always information
on all social.
Give a call and we'll respondokay, well, this has been great.
Thanks for having me on yourpodcast.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Has it been great?
It has been great.
It's always great to have you?
Speaker 2 (19:43):
all of a sudden, you say things.
Why did I just say that?
That was like ridiculous.
Well, that's why we edit yeah,but keep it in A blooper.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Put a blooper or you just throw those in.
No, but I think bloopers arelike people falling down.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Right or drop something or say something
stupid.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I mean, who is it?
I was watching Mike send mesomething the other day and I
think he fell in front of hishouse.
He always falls and it wascaptured on the ring camera.
Yes, like those are fun.
Those are good.
Yeah, I like that.
And he's good he puts it outbefore anybody gets it Right,
get that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
He's like a walking, like parody of himself.
Yeah, all poetry.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Okay, well, yeah, all right.
Hopefully this has been helpfuland people check out the
website and get more people tocome.
I hope so.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Thank you.
Hi everybody.
I'm Brian Licata with MarvelConsults, and I'm here today
with Kathy Del Piore of theGrace Foundation.
Nice to have you, kathy, thanksfor I'm so happy to be here
today at Grace.
Well, I mean, yeah, that's kindof like a little inside joke.
So we're actually here todayfilming at the Grace podcast
studio, which means what?
Do you walk about?
100 feet.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Just about outdoors A little scary, but I did it.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
So I'm a guest at your place, but you're a guest
on this podcast today.
Love that Right.
That's a little weird.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
But it's good, it works.
It works for me, so I'm glad wehave a podcast to do this, so
that's great.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It's nice to see the place get used.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It finally looks good .
Needs to be vacuumed, but we'regood.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
We're good.
So now, how long have you beenat the Grace Foundation?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I have been at Grace eight years so you know it was
funny because our chairman,michael Lonza, a friend for
years, said to me you knowthere's an opening.
Why don't you come to Grace?
You'll love it?
And I kept on saying no, it'slike not, it's not for me.
I don't know autism, I don'tknow.
I don't know the business.
(01:12):
I never.
You know, it was never anonprofit.
It was always at Corporate USA,madison Square Garden, Radio
City, doing big events.
It scared me.
But you know, eight years laterI'm here.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It scared me, but you know, eight years later I'm
here.
So you went from Radio CityMadison Square Garden, then to
the Grace Foundation.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, I had you know, a little like consulting in
between, yeah, but came here,was a little nervous, never did
anything in Staten Island, youknow, and knew no one really
because I was always city bound.
So getting to know people,getting to have relationships
and realizing it really isfulfilling, I mean.
I really mean that I wasnervous at first because knew
(01:52):
nothing about the diagnosis ofautism.
I obviously grew up with it butdidn't know as much and you
really basically have to beschooled on it, get to know the
parents, get to know each kidand then realize what do we need
, what do we need to do to growit?
We're Greece, but we're small.
And how do I take my knowledgeof what I've done in Madison
(02:14):
Square Garden?
And my expertise came fromcreating events, creating shows,
creating people to getinterested in what you're doing,
not just selling tickets, butnow it's actually selling
services, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So when you came here , you came here as the event
person.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
As the event person Did.
They have a lot of events backthen.
We had and the board did it.
We had the gala and I thinkthere was a picnic and that was
it.
And I think Barbara De Amoraused to do a crop like
scrapbooking, which was reallysuccessful, and she did a picnic
and they had this yearly galaand nothing else.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
So now most nonprofits literally spend all
year long planning events, rightGoing from one event to the
next event, to the next, and soback then Grace had one to two
events.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Exactly, and they depended on the contracts and
maybe small donations here andthere.
The board actually donated alot and I remember coming in
saying, hey, let's do like aHalloween event and let's get
some sponsorship.
Sponsorship what is sponsorship?
We never asked anybody formoney to sponsor an event and
(03:25):
that's how it started, and Ithink my first person I reached
out to was Phil at Empire and hesaid congratulations, finally,
someone's asking me for money tosponsor an event.
I thought that was crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So most nonprofits run events because it's like
that create awareness and bringin money, right, right.
So I mean starting almost fromscratch, you had a clean slate.
It wasn't like you had allthese people who had done years
of an event and you couldn'ttouch it.
Everything kind of became howyou wanted it to go, right,
exactly so.
The Halloween was your firstevent.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It was my first.
It was like a full picnic, youknow.
So calling Ari Emma's to getpumpkins donated.
I full picnic, so calling AriEmma's to get pumpkins donated.
I was just calling everybody, Iwas on my own, I was a team of
one, got some sponsors, dollarsand created a great fun day and
then we kind of built on it forTrunk or Treat Halloween
experience.
Then I went into other eventsand we just kept on growing that
(04:20):
way.
So was there a golf outing?
Back then we had somebody elsesupported us by doing a golf
outing and we just showed up and, you know, just had lunch and
did nothing.
And then we said, why aren't wedoing this?
As you know, our own event, andthat's how we did it, and Frank
Biglione from our board lovesgolf, knew golf, helped us with
(04:42):
that and we have a great yearlygolf.
I say always great lunch and,by the way, there's golf and
that's how we do things.
We do things to have fun.
We make a lot of money, don'tget me wrong, but we actually do
for all the right reasons.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So, with the different events that you run, I
mean, what's like the startuptime, Like how much lead time do
you need to actually plan anevent?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah Well, that's a good one Sometimes one day.
Brian, you know the gala wealways plan in our head.
Next year it's April 4th orwhatever, but there's some
events.
We just did the Christmas inJuly, I think.
We had one month and we put ittogether.
(05:25):
Was it a moneymaker?
Probably not, but it was ourfirst annual.
Next year we'll get sponsorsand that's how you grow it.
You can't always expect everyevent to make money.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Did it build awareness.
It did Right, so that's whereit goes back and forth because
hopefully from that awarenessmore money comes down the road.
Right, exactly Right.
But I mean, okay, so a monthlytime to plan that event, right,
but then during that time youhave other things you have to do
.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Right, exactly.
I mean, I'm supposed to berunning an organization Listen,
I can't help it.
Running events and doing eventsand working with the team that
I have is the best part of it.
But yeah, we you know, makingdog biscuits, candles, podcast
interviews, planning golf,planning a Halloween event,
(06:11):
planning a holiday Christmasevent all at the same time.
So it's always busy.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
So how many events do you think you have right now on
the docket for a year?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Oh, I forgot the marathon.
Two marathons, no.
From now until the docket, fora year.
Oh, I forgot the marathon.
Two marathons, no, from nowuntil the end of December.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Even if we did like 2024, all of 2024.
Oh God, it ranges.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
I think we would have at least 15 events.
I mean, you have the small onesyou talk about Raymar Flanagan.
They'll call We'll do like a,we're going to do an art exhibit
.
That's new.
We have the big ones, like theseasonal, the five or six, so,
and we throw in other things andeverything else in between.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And then you have all the smaller events, like the
virtual bingo.
Oh the bingo.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And we're going to do bingo again here.
So, yeah, bingo is always.
It's like a staple.
We created our audience.
We're going to continue becausepeople love it, so we'll
continue with it.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And then included in the events are like all these
little things that you probablydon't even consider, events Like
you have the two, the webseries Dan on the Street, grace
10314.
And those have weekly orbi-weekly events going out to
restaurants and doing otherthings.
So we take it from 15 to like50.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I think so, now that you say it that way, we do Every
day there's something.
Well, there's still a lot ofplanning that goes into it,
right?
Oh, so much planning becauseyou have to say there could be a
cancellation, we have to changethe times, we have to make sure
the video crew is there, wehave to make sure sometimes our
participants are okay to go thatday.
So there's always something andthere's always obstacles and
(07:42):
there's always something youhave to figure out.
But that's every day here atGrace.
There's never downtime.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
How do you pick events?
I mean, I'm going to say besuccessful, but how do you pick
an event?
That's not something thateverybody's doing.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Well, yeah, you just don't.
You just don't do it here.
I mean, yeah, I meaneverybody's also golf outing.
So we do our golf outing with alittle bit more.
You try to add more to it.
Your golf outing is likesomething on every hole.
Right, exactly, you make it funand this year it's like, okay,
what could we do that we didn'tdo last year?
(08:17):
It's great, you put creativeminds together and you try it.
You try it out Everybody's.
It's great if somebody followsyour lead and does something, so
that means I guess you're doingsomething right.
I have no problem saying I'velooked at other things in the
past that worked for me in abigger situation like Madison
Square Garden, and saying, well,how can we replicate that?
Yeah, you know, we've hadevents like I talked about the
ice skating outside and we didit.
You know Rapachulo had hisGleiss people they call the ice
(08:41):
people, but you try to createsomething that you.
It's never.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Well, I mean.
So Christmas in July that justpassed you had the blow-up rides
, you had the vendors, you hadfood, you had the Gleiss Right,
and at different times therewere people on the Gleiss and
then other times there weren'tRight, but you took a chance
Right and I think that's part ofhaving events, having
fundraisers, trying somethingdifferent that other people
(09:09):
don't do Right, and sometimesalmost hoping that you strike
gold.
You hope so.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And then sometimes you don't Right.
And then sometimes you just doevents for the kids.
Yeah, you just do it becauseyou know you're giving back
something.
And next year I'm going to saywe'll take some deer and we'll
create reindeer baby.
We could do so many differentthings.
To me, the sky's the limit.
Whatever you can do within abudget, you help keep within
(09:36):
that budget.
Sometimes you don't.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
But I mean some of the events are big, I mean like
breaking the Guinness WorldRecords.
Those are big, big events,right, and I have to say that
there's a lot more planning thatgoes into that than into trunk
retreat.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, trunk retreat is candy and you know costumes.
Breaking the world record is,uh, getting the adjudicator
there.
Making sure you have the peopleto break a record permits, uh,
marketing.
There's so much involved inthat day.
You just, you know, hold yourbreath until it's over so how do
you build on trunk retreat?
Speaker 1 (10:12):
What else can you add to it?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Well, I think this year we're doing something.
We're adding something whichwill be fun.
We're adding a haunted I don'twant to say an adult, it's a
scarier version.
We're bringing in a hauntedhouse, so during the day we have
the trunk retreat for the kids,a sensory friendly type of
walkthrough for the hauntedhouse and later on be prepared,
because I know I'll be screamingthrough that house and it's, I
(10:37):
think, the first ever here in anon-profit that will do
something like that.
I think, I don't think I don'tthink there has been.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
I know, um, what.
You have the guy who does thehaunted cemetery tours, right.
Right, I've seen fairy walksdid something, chrysler
Mansion's done something, thenthere's just all the people who
do things out of their houses.
Right, that's true, but I don'tthink a nonprofit has done like
a real haunted house or a scarytrail or anything like that.
(11:05):
Have you seen this property?
Well, so years ago, literallylike 20 years ago, I mean, I
remember we came here for theydid have something inside Colony
Hall.
They had a haunted thing inColony Hall.
But this campus is scary on agiven day, any given day, Every
day, Colony Hall.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Actually, if you talk to him there's like tunnels
right under the stage, so likeif you go through the tunnels
and we should, or maybe we'llsend someone we don't like to go
through because I don't thinkyou'll ever come out, but he
said you could walk through.
It was like years ago they usedto bring in you know, I don't
know what they used to bringthrough All the buildings were
connected, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Right.
So there was the crematoriumwhen this was fully functional,
even across the street,everything was connected.
Even across the street,everything was connected.
And I want to say that, whetherit's the History Channel or A&E
, they have actually filmed somelike haunted Staten Island or
ghost series on these locations,you know, because there are so
(12:05):
many people who have died here.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Right, and yeah, that's true, we're in the
tuberculosis center andbasically everybody did go there
to die.
We have friendly spirits, we do.
They close our doors.
They there's orbs, there'sthings, there's sounds, there's,
but we're kind of getting usedto it.
So why not bring it togetherfor halloween and see what
happens?
Speaker 1 (12:26):
yeah, I mean across the street.
I know people go in all thetime with like gopros and other
things in film.
I've been in one or two of thebuildings here that you know, I
mean, are just creepy.
You can feel it, yeah, yeah,the building next to you is just
like oh, no, yeah, it's like ahorror movie, right.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, I'm not doing it.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
So you keep building on to the events that you have
and with building on, you'reinviting in more people, not
just participants and thefamilies but you get in the
community involved.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah, you hope so.
I mean it's out open to thepublic.
You always say it's sensoryfriendly for those you know with
autism, but we want everybodyto come here and and to get to
know us and to spread the word.
And you know, that's why we dodifferent events during the year
.
So christmas should be open toeverybody.
Halloween, of course, the gala,yes, of course, all of those
events.
We want everybody to come toget to know us and to appreciate
(13:19):
what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
So last year you did the first Christmas event here,
right?
I mean like true Christmasevent.
Yes, Tree lighting, everythingelse, How's that tree doing
Tree's dead.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Tree's gone.
Yeah, it didn't, it didn't.
It's hard to say dug up thetree, we're gonna put another
tree, but it's gonna work.
We should plant it now, right.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I don't know if you plant a tree or if you just go
fake.
I mean, it would've, maybewould've worked, like if green
thumb no, it's not happening.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
So if we have to dig a hole every year and put a tree
in, we'll do it.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Last year's event.
You had a couple hundred peoplehere.
We did Right.
So I mean, honestly, peoplecome out.
You know, if you're planting atree, it's not going to be a
hundred foot tree.
It's not like you know, goingto the city and seeing the tree.
No, no, but this was still areally nice thing.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
It was nice because the whole place is decorated.
Yeah, you know, we have lightseverywhere.
This year we have this brandnew outdoor.
I don't know what we're goingto call it Maybe you know the
Grace House, whatever and we'regoing to decorate it like
Terrace on, you know, Terrace onthe Park, Terrace on the Green,
which one is?
Speaker 1 (14:25):
it.
Terrace on the Green.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yes, Candyland.
So if we have an eight-foottree, so be it.
Maybe we'll get a 10-foot treeor a 12-foot tree.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Well, I mean, look, the property looked beautiful, I
mean with all the Christmaslights and the people you know.
I mean, like you said, you keepbuilding on it, you keep adding
other things.
More people come in becausethey want to see it.
Um, halloween and christmas areso weird you can never have
enough things to do.
Right, like, yeah, we go toduiker heights, we look at the
lights.
(14:59):
Uh, we drive around the island,we look at the lights, both
halloween and christmas.
Right, so you know, like peopledo want to see things they do.
This is almost this weird areaon the island where there's
nothing.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
There's nothing.
It's yeah, really, we're inwood, so we're in the green, so
you know.
So we'll decorate now forHalloween soon I think and then
we'll take it down and startdecorating for Christmas,
because it's still Thanksgiving,like right in between, you know
.
But people do drive by andthey're curious because they see
the lights, they see somethinghappening.
So that's a good thing, right.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Or a family member to spend to show up?
No, right, and I think that'swhat kind of brings people in,
where most of the places on theisland are really only open for
the participants' families.
Uh-huh, you know, and with theexception of golf outings, golf
outings are the only one eventwhere everybody gets invited,
right, but the more things youkeep doing, you know, I mean,
you've got the space, could youdo a Valentine's dance now?
(16:01):
Well, the space.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
could you do a Valentine's dance now?
I said, well, why not?
We can Sure, really you coulddo anything.
If you plan it right, anythingcould work out.
There's always a market forsomething or a holiday, or we
make up our own holiday.
We could do it.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
So if you keep looking at adding events, how
soon?
Until there's just no room toadd more.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I don't know, maybe you have to eliminate one, add
another, kind of rotate it seewhat works for everybody, or
just keep it coming, you know.
But no, there has to be a limit.
You can't do too many thingsbecause I feel like then people
might say, you know, is it goingto be the same as the last?
Or, oh, I wonder what they did.
Maybe they did somethingdifferent?
I think they're.
(16:43):
You know, we still have to,like, keep a limit on something
but not even that.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I mean sponsors, yeah sure, going after the same
people, right you know.
Getting families to come tothings is one thing, right you
know I mean, there's a cost witheverything that you do with
everything yeah, so I mean,listen, I think a seasonal, if
everybody knows four seasons,there's four major events.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
people plan on it To me instead of going other places
, other, you know Jersey, comehere, you know, enjoy it here.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So the next two big events are going to be Halloween
and then Christmas.
Yes, so when is your treelighting in Christmas Tree
lighting?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
is November 30th it's a Saturday, if I'm not mistaken
Five o'clock.
Here we're going to have WinterWonderland, candyland, santa,
santa, in here, the treelighting probably.
Well, we don't have igloos thisyear, but we'll have ice cream,
maybe some vendors.
It's a lot of fun.
Do you have to go on toregister?
(17:48):
Do you just show up for thatthis year?
Last year, I don't think weregistered.
Last year it was just showingup.
But this year maybe we'll dosome sort of registration.
So we'll know, because maybewe'll have other things, maybe
we'll have a line.
I don't know.
I don't know.
That's a good question.
I don't know if it should justbe open to everybody and then
see what happens, and then wecould do a vendor day, sure, but
(18:08):
everything will be on thewebsite anyway.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
What's the?
Speaker 2 (18:10):
website.
What is it?
It's just go to graceofnyorg.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Okay, so graceofnyorg yes, and then Halloween is
going to be what?
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Halloween is going to be what Halloween is going to
be October 19th, so that'sSaturday.
I think it's the 19th.
Is the 19th a Saturday?
Sounds right.
Yes, during the day it'll beoutside, trunk or treat, and
then going into, like maybe 7 to11, at night, we have our
haunted Halloween.
I'm going to call it a mansion,but we'll see what happens.
And that's going to be aticketed event.
(18:40):
That will be.
There'll be limited tickets.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
So I think if you're planning something, plan it now,
I think tickets are going onsale, probably this week or soon
, so we're getting it out there,okay.
So I mean lots of events, lotsof things to do If you're
looking for Halloween or ifyou're thinking ahead to
Christmas.
Visit graceofnyorg, check outtheir socials, get tickets, come
(19:04):
to the event or just spread theword and reshare it.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Right, we're always on social.
Every day there's something new.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So this is great.
So if you have questions aboutGrace of NY, their services or
how you can participate, visittheir website.
I'm sure there's ways they cancontact you and your staff
directly.
Right, we will do that that ofcourse we'll call you.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
We always do you know and there's always information
on all social.
Give a call and we'll respondokay, well, this has been great.
Thanks for having me on yourpodcast.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Has it been great?
It has been great.
It's always great to have you?
Speaker 2 (19:43):
all of a sudden, you say things.
Why did I just say that?
That was like ridiculous.
Well, that's why we edit yeah,but keep it in A blooper.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Put a blooper or you just throw those in.
No, but I think bloopers arelike people falling down.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Right or drop something or say something
stupid.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I mean, who is it?
I was watching Mike send mesomething the other day and I
think he fell in front of hishouse.
He always falls and it wascaptured on the ring camera.
Yes, like those are fun.
Those are good.
Yeah, I like that.
And he's good he puts it outbefore anybody gets it Right,
get that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
He's like a walking, like parody of himself.
Yeah, all poetry.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Okay, well, yeah, all right.
Hopefully this has been helpfuland people check out the
website and get more people tocome.
I hope so.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Thank you.
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