Smilestones
Tying the Knot
STEELE-FISHER NUPTIALS
Rob Fisher and Katie Steele were married on Oct. 1 at St. Joseph Church in Sea Isle. Katie is a first-grade special education teacher at Millbridge Elementary School in Delran. She is the daughter of Renny and Barb Steele, of Sea Isle. Rob is the director of major gifts at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. He is the son of Rob and Ellen Fisher, of Coatesville, Pa. The couple honeymooned in Montego Bay, Jamaica and are looking forward to making new memories with family and friends in Sea Isle for years to come!
Brian Ruxton and Matt Pittaluga of Hank Sauce (center) presented Mike Givens and Mike Monichetti with a generous donation for the Mike’s Seafood Run/Walk for Autism.
FUNDRAISER RAISES $11,150 FOR RUN/WALK FOR AUTISM
Brian Ruxton and Matt Pittaluga of Hank Sauce presented Mike Monichetti and Mike Givens with a donation of $11,150 for the Mike’s Seafood Run/Walk for Autism from proceeds from the “Cooler by a Smile” fundraiser. The check was presented at the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization’s May meeting that was held at Mike’s Seafood.
The Hank Sauce crew came up with the idea for this fundraiser and partnered with other local businesses for the grand prize. They filled a Yeti Cooler with more than $5,000 worth of gift cards, merchandise, and tickets to Flyers and Eagles games, and raffled it off in support of Mike’s Run/Walk for Autism. The fundraiser kicked off on Presidents Day weekend. Michele McGuire was the lucky winner of the cooler full of prizes.
“We can’t thank the guys at Hank Sauce enough for this partnership and their continued support of children with disabilities over the last 15 years,” said Monichetti, who owns Mike’s Seafood. “It’s incredible to have our entire community and the local businesses come together and support our organization.”
COMMUNITY DAY HONOREES
Sea Isle City held its annual Community Day on Saturday, May 6. The day was highlighted by Mayor Leonard Desiderio’s presentation of his “Do the Right Thing” awards, which recognize those who give of themselves to benefit the town. The recipients of the plaques included:
Front, from left: VFW Post 1963 Commander Mark Lloyd, Marie Mulholland, Maggie Dunner, Mary Shields, Shooting Stars, Marie Peltier. Back, from left: Gavin Oliver, VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary President Patti Lloyd, Teri O’Connor, Mayor Desiderio.
Winners of the First Bank of Sea Isle City Community Service Award included the Sea Isle City Volunteer Fire Department. From left: Firefighters Brandon McCloskey and Keith Pryce; Fire Chief Bryan Moran; First Bank President / CEO Larry Schmidt; Mayor Desiderio.
BEACH TAGE ART CONTEST AWARD WINNERS
More than 100 kids entered Mayor Desiderio’s beach tag art contest. Four lucky winners were picked by civic groups in town. Posing with the mayor are Claire Konrad (Seasonal Beach Tag), Mason Corey (Veterans Beach Tag), Kevin Andrews (St. Patrick’s Day), Emleyn Costello (Winter), Chief Financial Officer Jen McIver, and City Council members Mary Tighe, William Kehner, and J.B.Feeley.
ANTHONY DIANTONIO WINS GREEN THUMB AWARD
Anthony DiAntonio accepts the Green Thumb Award from the SIC Environmantal Commission and the SIC Shade Tree Committee. DiAntonio, a Public Works employee, was honored for his efforts to keep Sea Isle’s public garden beautiful. He is joined by members of both committees as well as Mayor Desiderio and the Oliver brothers, the mayor’s volunteer helpers.
THE ROAD TO HOPE GOES THROUGH SEA ISLE
Mayor Len Desiderio welcomed the Law Enforcement United Road to Hope Tour into Sea Isle City on May 9. The officers rode bicycles from Atlantic City to Washington in honor of fallen officers and their survivors.
GIRL SCOUT TROOP VISITS FIRE STATION
The Sea Isle City Fire Department gave Girl Scout Troop 41012 the grand tour April 7. The firemen had a water hose demo set up, various trucks for the girls to see, and they showed the troop the equipment on the trucks, as well as the fire gear they have to wear.
This meeting helped the Brownies and Juniors earn their “Hot Stuff” badge by covering the fire safety requirements they needed to meet. At the end of the meeting, the girls hand delivered a couple of cases of Girl Scout cookies for the fire department to enjoy.
Wilson’s father Henry, City Councilman Bill Kehner, Wilson’s mother Maureen, auxiliary president Patti Lloyd, and Mayor Leonard Desiderio. In the bottom photo, Lloyd is flanked by Henry and Maureen Wilson, posed with a display of the items bound for Guam.
VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary’s Adopt-A-Troop program featured a video call to Guam with Seaman E-3 Hugh Wilson (on the screen in the background in top photo). Wilson is a land crew member of SS Emory S. Land, a submarine tender ship whose crew was the chosen recipient of T-shirts and gift cards.
VFW POST CONNECTS WITH ITS ADOPTED TROOP
The VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary’s annual “Adopt-a-Troop” program concluded April 7 with a video call to Guam. Members of the auxiliary gathered with veterans from Post 1963 and local municipal officials to speak with Seaman E-3 Hugh Wilson, a crew member onboard the USS Emory S. Land (AS-39), stationed in Guam.
Auxiliary president Patti Lloyd led the call to inform Wilson that the auxiliary had collected nearly $2,600 in donated gift cards and printed dozens of custom-designed T-shirts for the crew of the USS Emory S. Land. All of this will be shipped to the crew in Gaum, along with more than 200 letters written by students from the Strath Haven (Pa.) School District.
Wilson’s mother, Maureen, is an active member of the Post 1963 Auxiliary, making the decision to choose the crew of the Emory S. Land as their 2023 Adopt-a-Troop recipients an easy one. The auxiliary members also hung a framed image of the USS Emory S. Land inside Post 1963 to commemorate the ship’s crew being this year’s Adopt-a-Troop honorees.
“We host this program because we want to recognize our military members and thank them for the freedom we enjoy here in the United States – and we also want to let everyone know how proud we are of our service men and women,” Lloyd said. “The auxiliary organizes the program, our post veterans support it, and our surrounding community graciously makes donations – and every year, our Adopt-a-Troop program gets better, thanks to the ever-increasing support it receives.”
Members of Boy Scout Troop 76 with their wreath to place on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
BOY SCOUTS LAY WREATH AT TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
Early in April, Boy Scout Troop 76 visited Arlington National Cemetery, where they had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a historic monument dedicated to deceased U.S. service members whose remains have not been identified. The scouts were accompanied by VFW Post 1963 Commander Mark Lloyd and post auxiliary president Patti Lloyd. The scouts displayed the respect and dignity that all of our fallen heroes deserve and did a fine job representing our community.
The Catholic Daughters of St. Joseph Church: (seated, from left) Gerrie Crudele, Chick Flora, Bette Keller, Carol McCullough, Ann Mooney, and (standing, from left) Peg McDermott, Mary Jane Whinney, Anne Koch, Janice Gheysens, Linda Murphy, and Barbara Doring.
CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS’ EASTER BASKET DRIVE A SUCCESS
The members of the Catholic Daughters of St. Joseph Church host events each year that support their charitable efforts, such as Christmas bake sales, community luncheons, and monthly food drives. During their annual Easter Basket Drive, they collected a bevy of items from their fellow parishioners, including chocolate bunnies and other Easter sweets, sugarless candy, toys, coloring books, snack bars, notepads, crossword puzzle books, and many other items that helped them create nearly 90 gift baskets. Each basket was wrapped in cellophane and adorned with a colorful bow.
Fifty baskets were delivered to the Branches Outreach Center in Rio Grande, 20 went to Covenant House in Atlantic City, and 19 baskets were delivered to homebound residents.
“This is the third year we made Easter baskets,” said organizer Bette Keller. “In the past, we received thank-you notes from almost half of the people who received the baskets or from their families or caregivers. They appreciated knowing that the community loves them – and that’s why we do this.”
