Fundraiser to honor Jaime Whelan set for Sept. 22

“She was very friendly, she had multiple friends,” Joe Whelan said of his late sister, Jaime Whelan. “No one had a bad thing to say about her. She was there for others.”

Jaime Whelan, a former Island Park resident who later moved to Manhattan, and a well-respected sales representative, died in a tragic accident during a trip to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires on Oct. 12, 2007. She was 30.

“She was very successful and her personality owned a room,” Joe said, noting that she touched the lives of many. “As soon as she walked in, people knew she was there. She enjoyed life.”

Many, including friends, family and loved ones, will be honoring Jaime’s memory on Sept. 22 for the Fifth Annual Jaime Whelan Foundation fundraiser at the Beach House — an event held at the restaurant since 2008. The fundraiser, family said, not only commemorates Jaime’s memory, but also raises money for scholarships for female students graduating from Long Beach Catholic Regional School who plan to attend Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead.

Jaime attended Long Beach Catholic Regional School, and went on to attend Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead. She later earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and after college, was hired by TeleRep, a sales company in Manhattan. She worked there for roughly 10 years, family said, constantly making connections and new friends, and always enjoying life to the fullest.

Family and friends, who described Jaime as selfless, outgoing and driven, said they were “devastated” by her death. Despite the difficult times that ensued, however, they wanted to honor Jaime’s memory. That’s when Joe, her other brother James, and parents Jim and Susan decided to create the Jaime Whelan Foundation, a non-profit foundation formed in October 2008.