By Ayala Ben-Yehuda
Preparations for the 76th annual Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade kicked into high gear with the parade organization’s dinner dance fund-raiser planned for Thursday at Terrace on the Park.
To be honored at the dance for their community service were Arash Real Estate Inc; Gloria Bodie of the Douglaston Garden Club and the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee; Msgr. Michael Cantley, pastor of St. Anastasia R.C. Parish; and developer and philanthropist Joseph Mattone.
Arash Real Estate fed the hungry on Thanksgiving and distributes thousands of flags to households in the neighborhood in preparation for the parade, firm owner Mohsen Zandieh said.
“It’s a lot of work,” said Zandieh, whose goal is “making patriotism a cornerstone of everyone’s behavior” in the community.
The parade, traditionally one of the biggest in the country, will come at the end of a series of springtime activities, including a golf tournament as well as an art and essay contest.
The theme of this year’s march is the “Spirit of ‘76.”
“We thought it had a certain resonance, aside from the fact that it’s also our 76th annual parade,” said parade organization spokesman Victor Mimoni.
“We’re under attack for our way of life. Part of our way of life is parades,” said Mimoni.
The dinner dance, which had been held closer to the parade date in years past, was staged earlier this year to more evenly spread out fund-raising activities over the season, said Mimoni, who added that the proximity of the dance to Valentine’s Day also made its timing attractive.
This is the second year the parade has been run by an incorporated nonprofit instead of an informal group of community volunteers. Last year’s change angered many longtime participants who said they had been excluded from the decision-making process and not invited to volunteer.
About whether invitations have been extended this year, Mimoni said, “We have not sought anybody out in particular. We’re putting on the parade, and the question is are people more interested in putting on a celebration for the community or are they more interested in who’s in charge?”
Honorary proclamations from local politicians were expected at the dinner dance, and a 16-piece dance band was scheduled to perform in front of at least 250 guests who had purchased tickets.
Though it was unknown to what extent a possible war with Iraq would be reflected in the parade’s themes, Mimoni said the troops were never far from the minds of parade organizers.
“Members of the armed forces are at risk every day in war or peace,” said Mimoni. “We reflect on their contribution and we reflect on the cost of defending our freedom. That is what Memorial Day is all about.”
Contributions to the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade Organization, Inc. can be sent to 42-28 Douglaston Pkwy., Douglaston, N.Y. 11363-1528. For more information, call (718) 279-3200 or visit www.memorialdayparade.org.
Reach reporter Ayala Ben-Yehuda by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 1-718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
