Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The St. George Theatre hosted its ninth annual “Laughs on the Links” Golf, Bocce, Tennis and Pickleball Outing on Oct. 6 at the Richmond County Country Club in Dongan Hills. Hundreds of guests spent the day participating in sporting events before gathering for an evening dinner and open bar. Proceeds benefited St. George Theatre Restoration Inc., the nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and revitalizing Staten Island’s historic St. George Theatre. The evening program began with a welcome from theater co-founders and event organizers Doreen Cugno and Luanne Sorrentino. This year’s honorees included A.F. Bennett Salon & Wellness Spa, Lynne Persing, and Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn, represented by Iphigenia Romanos and Albert C. Corhan Sr., recognized for their contributions to Staten Island’s arts and culture community. Event chairs included Ron J. Scimone, John Tardy, and Vincent Tardy for golf; Katherine Conners, Celeste Holmes-Bute, and Dr. Thomas Petrone for tennis and pickleball; and Diana Boland, Joanne Caridi, Linda Clemenza, and Leslie Kasegrande, for bocce. “We’re deeply grateful to our dedicated board of directors, led by Brian Laline, our incredible A Team staff, and the outstanding outing chairpersons and committee members across golf, bocce, tennis and pickleball,” Cugno said. “Your hard work has made this principal fundraiser a true success.” “Since our last outing, we’ve accomplished so much — presenting outstanding educational shows, exciting headline performances, and expanding one of our proudest initiatives, the Sensory Friendly Series,” Sorrentino said. “This program creates a welcoming space for children and adults on the autism spectrum to enjoy the magic of live theater with their families,” she added. “We’ve also partnered with more than 50 nonprofit organizations to offer a growing array of enriching programs.” Major sponsors included the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Lynne Persing, Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn, Empire Bank, the Staten Island Advance, Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, and the Law Office of Victoria Wickman. “At the heart of it all is our mission to deliver impactful education to our community,” said Sorrentino. “Just this summer, we taught 65 students through our ‘Dancing Around the World’ theme.”
