Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than 125 Rockville Centre residents and their guests attended The Valentine’s Day Party fundraiser for Bethany House on Feb. 10 at the Rockville Links Club. Cocktails, dinner and dancing feted the crowd as neighbors joined together to raise almost $35,000 for the charity.
For the last 10 years, village residents Liz Cronley and Carolyn Melillo have held an annual fundraiser for The Bethany House, an organization that serves the most needy in today’s society: homeless women and children, frequently fleeing abusive situations. Bethany House provides emergency, transitional and permanent-housing programs in five residential facilities located throughout Nassau County as well as provide educational and job skills needed for permanent economic stabilization on Long Island.
Catching everyone’s attention at the fundraiser were several high-ticket items in the live auction. Auctioneer Tony Gerato cajoled the crowd into upping the ante and was able to fetch $4,000 for a weekend in Montauk in a luxurious house with pool and hot tub. Musician Jimmy Buffet’s autographed guitar brought in more than $2,000.
“I am extremely proud to live in a town where there is always an outpouring of support and generosity,” said an elated Liz Cronley, the event’s co-chairwoman, upon reviewing the evenings’ fundraising goal.
Sister Aimee Koonmen who heads Bethany House, said, “It was a wonderful night and all the hard work and generosity of so many good people paid off in great dividends for Bethany! These funds will ensure that our computer classes will continue through 2012 as well as provide for many of the emergency needs of our homeless families.”
Bethany House acknowledged the generosity of the following donors: A & B Limousine Ltd; Air and Speed; Montauk; Allure Magazine; Annastasia Salon; Art Flowers; Nancy Atlas; Jane Banfield; The Breakers; Palm Beach; Jimmy Buffett; Café Sapori; Palm Beach; Agnes Chapski; Steven and Liz Cronley; Chadwicks at the Station; The Cooks Fancy; Dunn Rite by Christine Dunn; Bob and Lorie DeGregoris; Ed and Ellen Farrell; Front Street Bakery; Jim and Annemarie Galowski in memory of James T. Cahill; Nancy and Mike Gough; Gregoris Nissan/Subaru; Grand Central Publishing; Garden Gate Revisited; George Martins; Rob and Cathy Grillo; The Harvest, Montauk; Heaven Can Wait; Joann and Chris Heckman; Isabella’s Boutique; jimgreenphoto.com, Connie Kerwick Kearns; Tracey Lawless; Lexington Brass Restaurant; Look Twice; Lucky Finds; Grainne MacAneney; Kevin and Eileen Meehan; Carolyn Melillo; Spencer Mirnoff; Neaten Up With Nancy, Peter Frank Hair Salon; PTI (Personal Training Institute); Dr. Brad Portenoy, DDS; Roman Nails; Schenone Nurseries, Inc.; The Wild Book Club; Tiro A Segno and Paul and Maura Yetman.
