The Graybeards Celebrate 23 Years

By Katie McFadden
It was a good night at the El Caribe. The Graybeards had a well-deserved night of celebrating at their 23rd Annual Dinner Dance on Saturday, January 25.
It was a great night to celebrate some great accomplishments in the community at The Graybeards’ biggest fundraising event of the year. This year, the charitable organization honored Graybeards member Joe Harkins with the Don (D.H.) Hart Memorial Award and Lisa Renda-Blackwell with the Tom Ryan Memorial Award. Graybeards President Dan Leary presented them with their special honors.
In some more good news, Eugene Brennan was able to present the funds raised from Stockings for a Cause over the holidays, to the honoree himself, U.S. Army Specialist Michael Gaynor. Through the effort, a total of $52,000 was raised. Of that, $20K went to Tunnel to Towers and the remaining $32K went to Gaynor, who was present on Saturday. While serving in Iraq 14 years ago, Gaynor was involved in a Humvee rollover, leaving him with serious wounds that made him paraplegic. The money raised will help to build a smart home for Gaynor to make things a little easier for him.
As another special treat, Gaynor was asked to pick the winning ticket for the big 50/50 raffle. A six-figure prize went to members of DSNY who split the ticket. After the formalities, the guests danced the rest of the night away and celebrated a night of all things good.
For more info about The Graybeards, see: https://thegraybeards.com
Photos by Jessica Woods.