Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Tribute and Honor Foundation recognized its 2027 award recipients at its annual announcement event last Sunday at the North Shore Historical Museum. Five North Shore residents are among those who will receive awards at the Tribute and Honor Awards Ceremony and Fundraising Gala in February.
Founded in 2021, the foundation’s original mission was to raise funds to help rebuild Glen Cove’s James E. Donahue Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 347 after it was severely damaged by a fire. The post was restored, and since then, the foundation has become a nonprofit for initiatives such as the Ben Farnan Scholarship, which helps graduating high school students who are committed to serving in the U.S. military.
The foundation also recognizes a veteran whose volunteer work supports fellow veterans with the Volunteer Award. This year’s recipient is Army National Guard and Reserve veteran Rene Cintron, from the Locust Valley area.
Cintron is a member of the Howard A. Van Wagner American Legion Post 962. Among his volunteer efforts are his work to maintain veterans’ monuments and his help with the community’s annual Memorial Day Parade.
He spoke about doing what he can to support the veterans in his community. “We are asked to do things,” Cintron said, “and we just go.”
The foundation’s Leadership Award winner is Bayville’s John Schaefer. The award goes to a veteran for exemplary leadership in serving fellow veterans and the community.
After serving in the Marine Corps Reserves, Schaefer became a Nassau County police detective. He is also a member of the Robert H. Spittel American Legion Post 1285, where he has held several leadership positions, including post commander.
Schaefer noted that five brothers, his father and his son all served in the military, which makes veterans particularly important to him. “They’re really special to me,” he said, “and they always will be.”
Sea Cliff resident Kate Csillag will receive the Homefront Award, given to an individual or organization for outstanding service to the veterans community. Csillag, founder of Knit and Crochet with Kate, hosts knitting and crochet groups in the Glen Cove Senior Center, local libraries and Congregation Tifereth Israel.
Last year, Csillag and the Glen Cove City Hall Knitting Club organized a Veterans Day initiative to collect hand-knit and purchased items including scarves, hats, sweaters, blankets and underwear for disabled veterans. They set a goal of 1,111 donated items, to match the Veterans Day date of Nov. 11, and ultimately exceeded that goal, collecting 1,656 items.
Csillag joked at the announcement event that she is better with crochet needles than words, but said she was honored to be recognized.
“I just want to point out that it really is about all of us joining together, and I love the fact that everybody, in their own way, finds a way,” Stevenson-Mathews said. “And to me, that is the crux of what we try to do.”
U.S. Army veteran Angelo Grande, of Glen Head, was named the 2027 Legacy Award recipient. The award is given to a veteran for his or her longtime commitment to serving fellow veterans and their community.
Grande spent three years and six months on active duty in the 1960s before transitioning into the reserves. He is a retired North Shore High School teacher, a former Nassau County American Legion commander and a former president of Loggia Glen Cove No. 1016, an organization dedicated to preserving Italian culture and tradition.
“It is my privilege and honor to receive this prestigious award,” Grande said. “I’ve worked many years to serve my community, my country and my veterans.”
In what Stevenson-Mathew called a “family tradition,” Glen Cove’s Vincent Martinez Jr. was named the recipient of the Impact Award, given to a veteran who has made a strong impact in his or her community through service in the military and as a first responder. Martinez’s father, Vincent Sr., received the Legacy Award in 2023. The United States Navy veteran and firefighter died in January.
Honorees will receive their awards at the ceremony on Feb. 6, at 6 p.m., at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville.
