The Little North Pole Dazzles in Its 30th Year

By Katie McFadden

The Little North Pole is all aglow for its 30th year! On Saturday, November 29, Joe Mure and Jodi Tucci invited the community for the annual ceremony to light their extravagant holiday home at 144-03 Neponsit Avenue, complete with special performances, including hip hop artist Master Gee of Sugarhill Gang, and a visit from Santa with toys for every boy and girl, all in the name of bringing smiles to faces and raising some funds for Breakthrough T1D and this year, a special girl in need, Ali Rose Modica.

With sky-high toy soldiers and lights and figures galore, The Little North Pole is lit for the season. Saturday’s show, emceed by Goumba Jonny and Joe Causi and DJed by Mugsy, included performances by the Scholars’ Academy chorus, opera singers Stefano and Cristina Fontanelli, up and coming singers Janine Vitello, Alyssa Marie and Danielle Dante, young Marcello DiGregorio, a legendary performance of “Jump On It” and “Rapper’s Delight” by Master Gee and freestyle hits by Noel. The performances were all in anticipation of the biggest star of all, Santa Claus, who arrived with a firefighter and Jets Towing escort, and provided toys and books, courtesy of the NYS Public Employees Federation, as the Little North Pole is promoting reading this year.

Making the night even more special were some generous donations to Breakthrough T1D for juvenile diabetes research, and to Ali Rose Modica, a 6-year-old little girl whose life took a drastic turn two years ago, with a flu that led to brain damage, leaving her nonverbal and quadriplegic. To help try to get her back to normal through stem cell treatments, Joe Mure presented the family with a $15,000 check on Saturday, before Ali Rose had the honor of pushing the magic button to light up the home. The Gurino family, as the result of a cigar fundraiser night, presented a whopping $100,000 check toward Breakthrough T1D, and the Gateway Rotary Foundation presented an additional $28,525 for the organization that has made great strides in juvenile diabetes research and technology.

The Little North Pole, located at 144-03 Neponsit Avenue, will be lit throughout the holidays. Donation bins are outside of the home to contribute to Breakthrough T1D and Ali Rose or head to www.littlenorthpole.org.