Molloy College hosts virtual gala

There was no sit-down dinner, no live entertainment and no opportunity for mingling or networking, yet Molloy College offered quality entertainment during its virtual annual gala last Saturday, raising three times more than anticipated for scholarship funding.

The 2020 Galathon, “Celebrating Success in Action,” which streamed on Nov. 28, honored Molloy alumni and community leaders who have been on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus, and raised nearly $1.5 million in cash and pledges. The gala typically raises around $325,000.

The opening was a medley of pop songs sung by students — with reworked, Molloy-related lyrics — filmed in various locations around the Rockville Centre campus and highlighting the college’s four schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, Education and Human Resources, and Nursing & Health Sciences. There were interviews with department chairs as well as musical performances throughout the two-hour event, and viewers had the opportunity to call in and pledge donations.

The college also announced a $1 million gift from the family of Barbara H. Hagan, establishing the Barbara H. Hagan Endowed Scholarship, to be awarded to students pursuing nursing degrees. The presentation was made by members of the Hagan family, who made the founding donation establishing the Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing and Health Sciences in 2016.

“The Hagan family continues to support Molloy and, in particular, the Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing and Health Services,” said Edward Thompson, Molloy’s vice president of advancement. “Their latest gift is one of the largest Molloy has ever received, and we are grateful for their ongoing contributions to our success.”

The donation will make quality education obtainable for future leaders and generations of young students, according to Thompson.

“This is a celebration of our many alumni, current students, faculty and staff, each of whom have been instrumental in helping their communities during the ongoing pandemic,” said Dr. James P. Lentini, Molloy’s president. “Our nurses, respiratory therapists and many others who have graduated from all of our four schools have impacted countless lives in countless ways. They continue to make a difference in the world, and will do so long after the virus has been tamed. What will remain is our special culture, a spirit that defines Molloy and makes it a unique college in our country.”

This year’s gala honorees were village residents Wayne and Karen Lipton, in recognition of their years of leadership and corporate citizenship. Wayne is the founder, CEO and managing director of Concierge Choice Physicians, the second-largest health care company of its kind in the U.S. Karen was an assistant Nassau County district attorney for 24 years. Her husband also plays cello in the South Shore Symphony, which has performed in Molloy’s Madison Theatre for the past decade. The Liptons provided financial support for and input on the Public Square project at Molloy, as well as the theater.

“I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the relationship that the Molloy College nursing program and its graduates have on serving the health needs of the region during the ongoing pandemic,” Wayne said. “Karen and I have worked closely with Molloy for many years, and their dedication to the Long Island community is evident in everything they do.”

“The values that our family lives by are the same values that are at the core of Molloy College’s mission,” Karen added. “My aunt Claire is a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, who founded Molloy College in 1955. Her modeling a life of grace, learning, teaching and always contributing to the common good has had a profound effect on our family.”

The symphony performed during the gala, and Lentini and Wayne Lipton played a duet, the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” with Lentini on classical guitar and Lipton on cello.

The event also featured entertainment by musicians Paul Shaffer and Melissa Manchester, and cameo appearances by actor Ralph Macchio, actress and singer Lillias White and Students, Alumni and Friends of Molloy College.

The Galathon was co-chaired by Salvatore P. Ciampo, president of Renewal Powered by Belimo, and Laura Farahani, CFO of the ABCO Peerless Sprinkler Corporation.

“In an unbelievably challenging year, Molloy students, faculty and staff continue to learn, to teach and to serve,” Farahani said. “The many outstanding achievements of our alumni and coworkers over the year exemplifies what Molloy College brings to the larger community that we serve.”

The event celebrated the many alumni and community leaders who have been on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic, recognizing Molloy-trained nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, business postgraduates and others who have invested in the college’s four schools.

Angelo Fraboni, artistic director of the Madison Theatre, explained how the prerecorded segments were filmed, noting the safety precautions. “We were able to shoot in different locations by isolating performers,” he said.

“You can’t understand how difficult it was for us to think of a way to honor our alumni, to raise money and to still have fun during a pandemic,” Thompson said. “I think it shows the best of Molloy.”

The gala can be viewed at
www.molloycollegegala.com.