Alfonse D'Amato

A simple splash park helps revitalize a village

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When I was a kid growing up in Island Park, “water play” was a sprinkler set up on the front yard of the family lucky enough to have enough property to grow a lawn.

A couple of generations later, Island Park is pretty much the same. Small homes, hardworking people with modest incomes, children who play in the front yard and a pride in the community that is second to none. So when Superstorm Sandy blew ashore, taking three innocent lives, flooding streets throughout the low-lying village, tearing up bulkheads and wiping out public spaces and recreational areas, the community was devastated.

Priceless personal property was lost in the water, and insurance would cover only a portion of the home repairs. Some federal funds would arrive, but by and large this small town on Nassau County’s South Shore would have to figure out how to rebuild what it lost.

My late parents, Armand and Antoinette, weren’t wealthy, but having settled in Island Park after World War II, they gave us the best of everything that was important: love mixed with a work ethic and self-respect that would stay with us long after they were gone. They also imparted to us a love of our hometown, because they understood early on that a strong community reinforces the family bonds so important in our lives.

In the wake of Sandy, the Armand and Antoinette D’Amato Foundation set about to rebuild a portion of the devastated Island Park recreational waterfront by creating a public water park, a “splash park” where children could socialize, splash about in safety and create the memories of a community that embraces them.

Among those who recognized the value of this community resource was the Gittenstein Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen and enhance our region by donating to a spectrum of charities. That foundation has become the subject of a witch hunt designed to tar the reputation of its trustee while questioning who received charitable dollars, where and why.

The D’Amato Foundation has always operated with complete transparency and in total compliance with all rules and regulations governing the establishment and operation of a charitable organization — we have provided voluminous documentation related to every single dollar it has raised and spent. Against the headlines inspired by vendettas and where the facts are hidden, when reported at all, it is easy to forget that the foundation’s legacy can be found at a water park where children fight off the oppressive heat of summer in a community where an act of charity will be cherished for decades to come.

Don’t just take my word for it. The mayor of Island Park, Michael McGinty, told me that before the park opened in July 2014, the village sold about 400 beach passes. Since the construction of the splash park, the village has sold between 1,200 and 1,400 beach tags per year. The beach and splash park have become the public face of the revitalization of the village.

This has helped strengthen the relationship between the Island Park School District and the village, as more young children are now able to take advantage of the beach. Through the recreation center, one day each week, children are able to enjoy special programs at the beach, including swimming and other activities.

I am proud of this splash park, which was built for the enjoyment of all Island Park residents and their children. In addition to it, the foundation has funded a concession stand for the Island Park Little League.

One of the main purposes of the family foundation was to assist the village where my parents raised us. My brother and I have personally donated $55,000 to it. We were fortunate in that dozens more of our friends and colleagues also contributed, and Cameron Engineering donated its services and supervised the construction of the splash park at no cost.

I am proud of what has been accomplished and built through the Antoinette and Armand D’Amato Foundation. This was an opportunity for me to help the village that has meant so much to me and leave something behind for future generations to come.

Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.