Fundraiser for Glen Cove VFW

Veterans organizations traditionally help make ends meet by renting space in their buildings for weddings and birthday parties, which was impossible during the pandemic. As a result, many veterans halls have closed, said Henryk Nowicki, commander of Glen Cove’s James E. Donohue Veterans of Foreign War Post 347. 

But Nowicki’s post has bigger problems. A fire last August heavily damaged the century-old building on Hill Street that was built by veterans, leaving Post 347 without a home. The cost of repairs has been estimated at $400,000, Nowicki said, but an insurance policy is offering only $140,000. 

The Phoenix Rising Committee, created to help the VFW, held a fundraiser on Feb. 19, raising over $20,000, but more funding is needed, and Nowicki worries that once the renovations begin, other problems may surface. 

“We need all-new walls because there’s fire, water and smoke damage, and all the wiring needs ripped out,” he said. “The paneling needs taken off, too, because the sheetrock behind it got soaked and is moldy. There’s a substantial gap between what the insurance company will give us and what needs to get done.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi wanted to help. On March 19, he will host a fundraiser called Rebuild the VFW to benefit Post 347, at the Polish National Home in Glen Cove. 

Veterans have long been close to Suozzi’s heart. His father, Joseph, was a navigator on a B24 in World War II who received the Distinguished Flying Cross. “The prime responsibility of government is to take care of our veterans,” Suozzi said. “In Ukraine they are fighting for freedom and democracy. That’s what our vets have done for us.”

City Councilwoman Danielle Fugazy Scagliola has also been working to find funding for the VFW since the fire, and said she had had good luck finding donors. In December, Suozzi asked her to join his effort. “Tom said, ‘You care about this. I care about this. Two forces are better than one,’” Fugazy Scagliola recalled. “I feel terrible for the veterans. I look at these vets who give so much.”

She will join Suozzi in hosting the event, as will Glen Cove Hospital, the Mack family and the Phoenix Rising Committee. Suozzi asked Ed Aulman to get involved, too. Aulman was the director of the Nassau County Veterans Services Agency from 2000 until 2008, when Suozzi was county executive. 

“I found out they didn’t ask all the posts for donations,” Aulman said, “so I wrote a letter to them a couple of days ago.” There are 150 independent veterans clubs across the island, he said 

Suzanne Anderson, a lifelong Glen Covian, is in charge of printing the fliers and collecting the RSVPs. Her father is a veteran. “I’ve always had a respect for them,” she said. “I live in The Landing, not far from the post. I want to make sure they have a nice place to spend their free time. They’re a nice group of people.”

Pete Prudenti, of Glen Cove, who’s in charge of hiring the entertainment, booked the South Bay Salty Dogs, who will play free of charge in honor of the VFW. Prudente, a member of the Glen Cove Volunteer Fire Department, has also been collecting donations from other organizations in Port Washington and Great Neck, including the Elks, Rotary and Lions clubs. 

“It fell on my lap in a nice way,” Prudente said. “Before the fire, I used to cook and donate a lunch once a month for the veterans. It was simple stuff, but they really appreciated it, and it was a fun thing to do.”

For his part, Suozzi has donated $10,000 from his congressional funds, which is included in the $35,000 already raised from big donors. 

“Now we need everyone in Glen Cove to come,” he said. “Residents, businesses, politicians, police, firefighters, Democrats and Republicans — we need everyone. If there’s one thing we can all get behind, it’s the vets.”