By Joe Anuta
The Whitestone Memorial Day Parade has been a neighborhood tradition for as long as many residents can remember, but few realize how close it comes to extinction during tough economic times.
“They were thinking about not doing the parade anymore,” said Gregory Dunleavy, of the American Legion, referring to the coalition of veteran associations that plan the event each year.
Each year the Whitestone Veterans Memorial Association, which includes Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4787, Jewish War Veterans Post No. 415 and the American Legion Post No. 131 all work together to put on the parade, but some of the groups have seen a drastic decrease in their coffers.
The veterans groups got a boost this year, however, from the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association.
“It comes down to everybody scratching everybody’s back to keep a tradition going,” said Kim Cody, president of the civic. “The parade has been around since I was a kid, I marched in it when I played Dwarf and Giraffe baseball.”
Cody and his organization presented Dunleavy with a check for more than $4,000 that the veterans groups will use to keep the tradition alive.
And rather than pound on doors or pass around a hat, the civic association raised the money in a way the entire community could appreciate.
In June, Cody held the second-annual Whitestone Family Appreciation Day — basically a barbecue that the entire neighborhood was invited to.
About 1,400 people showed up for the event and reached into their pockets to donate more than $8,000.
Aside from the veterans, the civic gave the other half of the money raised at the event to programs at the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Community Center.
Joan Ubertini, director of the senior center at the center, said the money will go toward many of the programs the senior center offers during the week like crafts, senior aerobics and art classes as well as many outings in the city and the surrounding area.
The community center also runs after-school sports activities for children as well. On the evening of the check donation, a group of them were lined up in the gym, chopping their air as part of their weekly karate lesson.
But much like some of the veterans groups, the community center has been having trouble making ends meet, according to Ubertini.
She had to scrap activities every Wednesday for the seniors and every Sunday for youth programs to compensate for shrinking budgets.
Which is why the check from the civic association is even more important, she said.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
