(MELVILLE, NY - October 28, 2011) - The Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association, a trade association representing more than 500 automotive-related businesses on Long Island and in New York City, will team up with Al's Angels to raise the funds needed to purchase holiday gifts and food baskets for hundreds of children and their families in the New York metropolitan area this upcoming holiday season.
LIGRA, currently celebrating its 80th year as a trade association, has members in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties as well as in the New York city boroughs. Most members are retailers and have agreed to place "loose-change" canisters supplied by Al's Angels on their counters. One hundred percent of the money collected will go toward the purchase of holiday meal bins and gifts for children suffering from cancer, rare blood diseases and severe financial hardship and their families. Over 2500 meal bins will be distributed in the weeks prior to Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukah.
Holiday Gifts will be provided to nearly 6,000 children during the season through a series of Santa & Frosty visits to area hospitals, clinics & health care facilities. Al's Angels works closely with their partners at North Shore/LIJ, Winthrop University, Stony Brook University and Good Samaritan Medical Centers to ensure that the meals and gifts are delivered to those in most desperate need of love and joy.
Al's Angels was founded in 2004 by Al DiGuido, CEO and founder of Zeta Interactive, a full-service interactive marketing company based in New York City. The Brooklyn-born DiGuido founded Al's Angels with the mission of providing moments of joy and comfort to families that are challenged by childhood cancer, rare blood diseases, AIDS, domestic violence and financial hardship. Through hard work, an amazing group of volunteers, and tremendous generosity, today Al's Angels is able to help thousands of children in the tri-state area. Al's Angels' Board of Directors underwrites all of the fundraising and administrative expenses to ensure that 100 percent of the money donated to Al's Angels goes directly to the programs it supports.
The canisters will make their debut Halloween weekend and remain in place through the holiday season, being collected right after New Years' Day. They will also be available at the LIGRA Trade Show slated for November 2, 2011. The money collected will be used to replenish the funds used to purchase food baskets and presents for the 2011 holiday season. Meal bins will be distributed through the aforementioned medical centers in November and December. Gifts will be hand-delivered by Santa, Frosty and their team of Angels throughout December.
LIGRA President Kevin Beyer said: "Most if not all LIGRA members live the American Dream of owning their own business, so we appreciate the opportunity to give something back when we can. This endeavor is particularly exciting because we are working with an organization, Al's Angels, that works as hard we do and makes sure 100 percent of the funds collected are used to provide gifts and food baskets."
Al's Angels' founder Al DiGuido said: "Everyone at Al's Angels is very proud to be working with the great owners and operators of The Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association. Our goal at Al's Angels is to continue to raise awareness for the good work being done by the Angels in providing these special children and their families with love, joy, meals and gifts during the upcoming holiday season. It is our sincere hope that customers frequenting service stations and automotive repair shops on Long Island and beyond will be generous with their donations to our organization. We are very excited about this partnership with LIGRA. Together we can send a signal to those in need that they are NOT alone...With LIGRA....they are joined by an army of Angels working to bring hope to their lives.