St. Mary’s Tribute Dinner and Event Honoree Vincent Riso Raise $580,000

Bayside, NY – They traded in hard hats for checkbooks, as hundreds of New York City’s most prominent builders and developers joined with other loyal supporters of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children at St. Mary’s Annual Tribute Dinner at Chelsea Piers on November 7, 2007. The event raised more than $580,000 to support the vital inpatient, home care, and community programs and services provided to nearly 4,000 children each day in the New York Metropolitan area by St. Mary’s.

“As St. Mary’s signature event, the Tribute Dinner marks the culmination of our year’s work on behalf of St. Mary’s children and celebrates our dedication, achievements, and combined successes,” remarked Event Honoree Vincent L. Riso of the Briarwood Organization.

Several of these achievements were highlighted throughout the evening’s program, which included a video greeting and proclamation from Congressman Gary Ackerman; a “report card” on current and former patients’ incredible progress; a Silent Auction and Giving Building to help fund much needed services and therapeutic activities at St. Mary’s, and the debut of “The Journey,” a short film by award-winning producer Suzy Shectman on the compelling journeys of two of St. Mary’s young patients.

While the film was a hard act to follow, Sponsor Chair Arnold Gruber of Marks Paneth & Shron, LLP, Event Chair Jeffrey Levine of Levine Builders, Dinner Chair James Riso of the Briarwood Organization, and Honoree Vincent Riso kept the room laughing with a little light-hearted humor during their addresses. Putting all joking aside, Cindy Johnson, Board Chair, presented an award to each of these gentleman in recognition of their outstanding work on behalf of the children of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children. Mr. Riso, a renowned NYC developer, civic leader, board member of St. Mary’s, and the evening’s Honoree, received a special award for his 40 years of dedication and service to St. Mary’s. Stephen Brent Wells, Chairman of St. Mary’s Foundation for Children acted as emcee for the evening’s activities.

The Presenting Sponsor of the 2007 Tribute Dinner was Briarwood Organization/Riso Family.

Visionary Sponsors included Cindy & Tod Johnson, D & J Ambulette, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, and an anonymous benefactor.
Hero Sponsors included Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., Marie and Charles DeBenedittis, Fried, Frank, Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP, and JPMorgan Chase.

Leader Sponsors included American Building Maintenance, Commerce Bank, Douglaston Development/Levine Builders, Gateside Corporation, Burton Grebin, MD, Marks Paneth & Shron, LLP.

Key Sponsors included A Sanita Concrete & Construction Inc., Dr. and Mrs. Harvey Aiges, Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP, EPS Iron Works Inc., Euro Excavation, Inc., Five Star Electric, The Karetsky Group, LLC, Larino Masonry, Inc., Linden Construction, Mattone Group, LLC, The Merit Corporation, Oldcastle Building Systems Division, and The Solaris Group/Stephen B. and Andrea Wells.