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Politics & Government

New Hyde Park Chamber Celebrates 50 Years

Members, business owners and guests attended the gala on Thursday night.

The celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala dinner, Chinese Auction and installation of new officers and directors all happening Thursday night at .

People ate a dinner of salad with a choice of steak, salmon, chicken or pasta with dessert and drinks; business owners discussed commerce; guests bought rolls of raffle tickets for prizes and Nassau County Executive and County Legislator swore in the officers in between the party fun.

Dressed to impress, all the members and guests in attendance blended well into the immaculately decorated party room; smiling, making memories and taking pictures throughout the night.

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“Were kicking off our 50th year as a chamber, we were incorporated in 1962, so we invited as many of the past presidents that were able to come and we have 10,” said New Hyde Park Chamber Secretary and now Third Vice President Jerry Baldassaro. “We have over 120 people that have registered and over 68 gifts" for the Chinese Auction.

The auction was set up in the front of the room near the podium and new Chamber of Commerce sign that was just created and being displayed. Raffle winners took home prizes donated by chamber members and small New Hyde Park businesses such as gift certificates to and and big baskets of goodies from places like Dave and Busters.

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Before the winners were chosen to claim their prizes, the chamber awarded the Sakowich brothers, owners of The Inn at New Hyde Park, with the  

“We’ve been giving an award each month to a member of business that has shown exemplary presentation of their business and we’ve had a lot of great winners in the past, but I guess we kind of held this one off until tonight,” Baldassaro said.

Not only were the chamber’s officers and directors honored, but 10 past presidents were awarded too, including the first chamber president, Paul Wesoly and the first ever women president, Angela Powers.

“We want to recognize the past presidents who got this started and with banging the gavel we begin the next 50 years,” said new chamber president Mark Laytin. 

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