Cross Island YMCA Honors 4 Neighborhood Heroes

The Cross Island YMCA celebrated its fifth annual Be A Neighborhood Hero dinner–dance and recognized four individuals for their dedication and contributions to the community. This annual celebration recognizes the vital partnership that exists between the Cross Island YMCA, the business world and the community.

The honorees of the 2005 Neighborhood Hero event are Chenetta Hagin, Washington Mutual Bank; Les Lerner, Benjamin-Beechwood LLC (recipient of the Jack Kleinoder Award); Assemblymember Mark Weprin, and Amy Fischetti, Queens County Farm Museum (Community Spirit Award recipient).

YMCA Senior Program Director Brian Morris emceed the event and along with Executive Director James Sanders, presented the awards to Hagin, Weprin and Fischetti. In a special presentation to Lerner, Doris Marcisak, granddaughter of Jack Kleinoder, presented the award named for her grandfather.

Marcisak recited a poem which hung in her grandfather’s home and served as inspiration for his dedication to the community as philanthropist and leader.

City Councilmember David Weprin presented proclamations to each of the honorees as he averred his support of the YMCA mission. The event was attended by nearly 150 community leaders, including state Senator Frank Padavan.

Chenetta Hagin is a vice president and regional employee relations manager at Washington Mutual Bank. She supports more than 9,500 employees in the Northeast and Central regions which cover 16 states. Hagin is one of 20 Committed Active Neighbors (CAN) coordinators in the company’s employee volunteer program in the Northeast Region. Helping to build strong, vibrant communities wherever Washington Mutual does business is integral to the company’s long-term strategy. In 2004, Washington Mutual donated $49.3 million in cash grants and 10,000 employees volunteered more than 41,328 times for a total of 187,249 hours. Hagin has been recognized under the Black Achievers in Industry Program. She volunteers her time with various community-based, non-profit organizations, including the Cross Island YMCA as a member of its Board of Managers.

Les Lerner of Benjamin Beechwood LLC is the first recipient of the Jack Kleinoder Award. Kleinoder dedicated 30 years to the YMCA, including co-founding the Cross Island branch. Lerner is the principal and co-founder of the Beechwood Organization, one of the largest developers of two-family homes in New York City and the largest developer of residential housing on Long Island. In a joint venture with Benjamin Development Companies, Benjamin–Beechwood LLC is leading the strategic redevelopment of the Rockaway Peninsula through their Arverne by the Sea project. This 2,300-unit, $800 million smart growth community is transforming one of New York’s most spectacular oceanfront landscapes. As part of the Arverne by the Sea development, Benjamin–Beechwood LLC is constructing a new 30,000-square-foot YMCA, which will feature a swimming pool, ball field, community rooms and a gym. Lerner is the recipient of numerous prestigious honors and serves several nonprofit organizations in various capacities, including the Cross Island YMCA Board of Managers.

Mark Weprin is the Assemblymember for the 24th District and the chair of the Assembly Small Business Committee. He was elected in 1994 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of his father, Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin. Weprin is one of the state’s leading advocates for open government and the public’s right to be informed of how the government works. He has served on the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee and Legislative Ethics Commission. He is an advocate for senior citizens, the autistic, and mentally ill.

A former adjunct professor at Queens College for five years, Weprin now spends time visiting local schools, teaching young people about the legislative process. His contributions have been acknowledged by numerous organizations including the Queens County Veterans of Foreign Wars as their Man of the Year. His support of the YMCA and its mission of community service includes securing capital funding through the State Dormitory Authority for the Y’s expansion project.

Amy Fischetti has been executive director of the Queens County Farm Museum since 1992. The 47-acre farm has been the site of continuous farming for over 200 years and is now restored as a museum of the agricultural history of New York City. Throughout the year, under Fischetti’s leadership, the farm provides a venue for special events and a variety of activities to gain a better understanding of this important way of life. Adults and children alike enjoy visiting, touring, and learning through the programs offered at the museum. Fischetti is treasurer of the Museums Council of New York City and has served on its board for the past nine years. The council’s membership includes 90 New York City museums, from the most well-known to the most obscure.

Fischetti believes that cultural, educational and recreational sites are the key to establishing community pride and a sense of neighborhood. Her career and professional associations focus on education, culture and recreation. It is Fischetti’s goal to build community pride and a sense of belonging through her efforts at the museum. The museum is the highest attended cultural institution in Queens County.

The YMCA of Greater New York, New York City’s largest youth-serving, not-for-profit organization, is a 153-year-old community service organization with a continuum of low- and no-cost programs that foster growth in spirit, mind and body. Comprising 19 branches and more than 200 facility and program sites in all five boroughs, the YMCA of Greater New York currently serves approximately 170,000 youth and 200,000 adults annually. The YMCA of Greater New York is the nation’s largest YMCA and is part of an international network of YMCAs operating in 130 countries. For more information, please visit ww.ymcanyc.org.

Providing a multitude of programs and services, the Cross Island YMCA serves nearly 25,000 individuals each year, 13,000 of whom are youth. Members and participants travel from a wide geographic area to enjoy the benefits of programs that build spirit, mind and body at the Cross Island Y, located in Eastern Queens.

The Cross Island Y was established in the mid-1960s in response to the growing needs of a booming family community. One major facility expansion and many renovations have evolved this YMCA to its current stature, serving all ages, regardless of ability to pay. The Cross Island Y is particularly proud of its ability to attract a diverse population. With a mission to serve all, Cross Island Y has taken the lead on establishing and integrating programs for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

A $7.5-million operation, the Cross Island YMCA employs 300 full/part time staff, supported by a volunteer team of 250 teens and adults.

Proceeds from the Be A Neighborhood Hero dinner–dance help to support the YMCAs scholarship program, as well as subsidizing no–cost and low–cost programs.

For more information on this event or other fundraising programs of the Cross Island YMCA, contact Bernadette Lee at 718-551-9318 or blee@ymcanyc.org.

The Cross Island YMCA is located at 238-10 Hillside Avenue, Bellerose, NY 11426.