Gladiator Fund Raises Money for Autistic Girl

Hailey Sullivan, who has autism, was the recipient of more than $6,000 raised at this year's dinner dance at the .

Sullivan is the daughter of Thomas and Dawn (nee Riekert); Dawn graduated from  in 1982. Hailey was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old.

This year's dinner dance, which was Friday evening, was the group's 22nd annual benefit. The fund, which is dedicated to helping New Hyde Park families pay for medical and related expenses, has helped approximately 75 people since its inception.

One of the people who received money from this fund is Sue Solieri. She graduated from New Hyde Park High School around 1979 and has multiple sclerosis. Her brother, Trustee Donald Barbieri, noted that Solieri had tremors as a result of her MS and received treatment from a French doctor in France for this with the help of the Gladiator Fund. Barbieri went to visit his sister once while she was there and as she was able to feed herself and tie her shoelaces, Barbieri said he "cried [his] eyes out."

"I love these guys; we all do," Barbieri said of the Gladiator Fund board. "As long as I can, I'll wheel myself here."

Dan Connor, Gladiator Fund President and Chief Executive Officer, said he considers the fund an extension of his social work and is excited that the fund has been "getting bigger, more donations and more people."

The dinners started when a friend of Connor's had a child with special needs and he decided to do a fundraising dinner dance. While at the dance, someone asked if they could have one for their child the following year. The recipient for next year's Gladiator Fund Dinner Dance is five-year-old Isabella Fiore who has a visual impairment, Connor explained.

"As long as kids need help, I'll keep doing this," he said.

Legislator Richard Nicolello, who attended the dinner dance, noted that the fund does "great stuff."

"It's great to see people come together for a good cause," Nicolello said.