Sleepy Hollow Begins New Year With Village Dinner

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. – Isaac and Debbie Bonner came out to the James Galgano Senior Center in Sleepy Hollow to give their time on New Year's Day, but found the community dinner had been “overrun” with volunteers.

“We came out because Sleepy Hollow has a strong sense of community and as soon as the calling bell rang in terms of the need for help and volunteers, we had to come,” Debbie said. “It wasn't even an option.”

Many Sleepy Hollow residents started off 2012 with good food and conversation during the second-annual community dinner held at the James Galgano Senior Center from 1 to 5 p.m.

The center's kitchen was staffed with several village employees, including Fire Chief John Korzelius and Department of Public Works General Foreman Richard Gross. Student volunteers and other residents manned the serving line, which quickly began to wind out the door.

Sleepy Hollow Deputy Mayor Tom Capossela said the turnout was “phenomenal.”

“People have really come through,” he said, referring to the many local businesses and residents who donated food and volunteered to help out during the New Year's Day feast.

The annual dinner began last year when Capossela saw that other villages throughout the county had similar events on Thanksgiving. Village Administrator Anthony Giaccio convinced him to move the dinner to New Year's Day because there wasn't enough time to hold it earlier and no one usually did anything on the first day of the year.

Capossela also had another reason for picking Jan. 1, joking “I don't go out on New Year's Eve, so I was looking for something to do New Year's Day.”

The Sleepy Hollow Lions Club was also at the dinner, handing out 20 bags of food for those who needed a little extra help. President Judith Giordano said the food, which included gift certificates to the C-Town supermarket, had been donated by residents throughout Sleepy Hollow.

Capossela and Giaccio noted most of the volunteers had been at the center since 9 a.m.

“It's terrific,” Giaccio said.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Tarrytown-SleepyHollow and receive free news updates.