Charter Award Dinner Raises More Than $650,000
52nd ANNUAL CHARTER AWARD DINNER HONORS:
Monte N. Redman, (Astoria Federal Savings)
Denis J. Salamone '75, (Hudson City Bancorp Inc.)
St. Francis friends and alumni showered their support on the College April 17 at the 52nd Annual Charter Award Dinner, raising more than $650,000 for scholarships as well as the Terriers for Terriers Disaster Relief Fund.
More than 400 people attended the event at the Marriot Marquis Times Square to honor Monte N. Redman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Astoria Financial Corporation and Astoria Federal Savings and Denis J. Salamone '75, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hudson City Bancorp Inc. and Hudson City Savings Bank. Both honorees were awarded honorary doctorates of Humane Letters.
Hosted by CNN correspondent Mary Snow, the event also featured past honorees and past students like Fr. Matthew Pravetz, OFM, PH.D. '69, Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at New York Medical College, who offered the Invocation. A trio of graduating seniors, Nicholas Barranco '13, Andrew Flores '13, and Rudy Velez '13 made a thank you video in appreciation of the generous financial aid and community of support made possible by alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends.
In addition to his work at Astoria Federal, Mr. Redman supports many community endeavors and is a proponent of Astoria Federal's Education First initiative and financial literacy programs. He serves in leadership roles for local and national banking industry associations and is a director and former Chairman of the Board of the Tourette Syndrome Association.
Mr. Redman was introduced by Gerard C. Keegan '68, who currently serves as Vice Chairman, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Astoria Financial Corporation and Astoria Federal Savings. Redman commended the College for going above and beyond its responsibilities in helping students recover after Hurricane Sandy and stressed that like St. Francis, Astoria Federal is committed to building the communities where its banks are located.
One of the first graduates from the St. Francis' Accounting Master's Program, Bono Lee '11, introduced Mr. Salamone who mentored Lee and was instrumental in Bono's pursuit of an internship and his current job at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees for St. Francis College, Mr. Salamone '75 is Chairman of the Board of the YMCA in Ridgewood, NJ as well as Director of the Wells Mountain Foundation.
Kaitlin Doyle '14 talked about how her life in Breezy Point was dramatically changed by Hurricane Sandy and how the Terriers for Terriers Fund has helped ease some of the financial hardships. After accepting his award, Mr. Salamone announced a match challenge for up to $50,000. At the event, $30,000 was raised, adding $60,000 to the Relief effort.
The Charter Award Dinner began in 1962 by the St. Francis Board of Trustees to commemorate New York State granting the College a charter and the right to confer diplomas, honors and degrees. For 51 years, the Charter Award Dinner has been the College's premier fundraising event and has raised millions of dollars to support scholarship programs and further the educational mission at St. Francis.
Photos: (Mary Snow, Monte N. Redman, President Brendan J. Dugan '68, Denis Salamone '75, Board of Trustees Chairman John F. Tully '67, and Kaitlin Doyle '14.)
St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.
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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu