One of the honorees will be Lily Gavin, owner of Dazies Restaurant in Sunnyside and former Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce president A gala "Fifties" cocktail party and fundraiser to help spruce up Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is on tap for this Thursday evening (June 1) and it promises to be a fun evening.

The "1950s Dinner in the Park" theme of the evening will dominate the many events featured for the evening-the 1950s dinner, '50s music, doo wop entertainment and a hula hoop contest.

The park's commissioner, Estelle Cooper, who doubles as Assistant Commissioner of all Queens parks, is the force behind the annual funfest and fundraiser. Borough President Helen Marshall shares the chairperson duties for the event with Cooper.

Several hundred of the borough's movers and shakers are expected to attend the event in the Ederle Terrace at Meadow Lake and to show up for the 6 to 9 p.m. festivities in 1950s style or casual dress.

They'll all get a chance to make contributions to fix up the park that is the beneficiary of the evening through silent auctions or outright donations.

The honorees at the party are the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association; Lily Gavin, owner of Dazies Restaurant in Sunnyside and former Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce president, and Joseph Pistilli, Astoria builder and developer and chief executive officer of the First Central Savings Bank with branches in Astoria and Whitestone.

Cooper acknowledged that Flushing Meadows receives capital funds from the city budget "but there's always room for private donations to make repairs and improvements."

A major target for the Whitestone homeowner is the park's New York State Pavilion, built for the 1939 World's Fair but now an eyesore, as it has deteriorated.

"Let's fix it or tear it down," Cooper said. The decision will depend on how much money the Thursday evening festivities bring in.

-John Toscano