3rd Annual Achieving Dreams Dinner

Project GRAD Long Island, an independent nonprofit education-reform organization recently kicked off its Achieving Dreams Dinner fund drive. The dinner will be held May 7, at the Garden City Hotel and is being co-chaired by Newsday publisher, president and chief executive Tim Knight and Spector Group principal Michael Spector. The dinner supports Project GRAD Long Island and its Scholarship Program, which gives students that satisfy certain academic requirements the opportunity to earn up to $6,000 toward a college education.

The event will feature the presentation of the John O'Neill Humanitarian Award, given in memory of founding Project GRAD board member John O'Neill, a longtime Garden City resident and Long Island Regional President of Bank of America (formerly Fleet Bank), who passed away in September 2004. Sharon G. Grosser, former executive director of the Roslyn Savings Foundation, will receive this year's award.

"Sharon Grosser is well known and highly-regarded in the nonprofit community, and she has always been a champion of Project GRAD," said Project GRAD Board president Frank Scott. "It is a privilege to be able to publicly recognize Ms. Grosser for her many contributions to Project GRAD and the Long Island community at large."

A resident of Freeport, NY, Ms. Grosser has been honored by the American Heart Association; the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, Inc. St. John's Hospital; the Association for the Help of Retarded Children and the Long Island Women's Agenda, among others. In both 2004 and 2006 Long Island Business News named Ms. Grosser one of Long Island's Top 50 Women. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls, the President's Advisory Council for Adelphi University and is on the Executive Board of Pet Peeves.

Serving as Honorary Chairs for the event are Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, New York State Assemblyman Rob Walker and Mrs. Margie O'Neill.

The May 7th event will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by a dinner and awards presentation. Various levels of sponsorship are available, including packages with tables, journal ads and electronic ads. For ticket information, contact Project GRAD Executive Director Robert Troiano at 516-223-5365 or by email at rtroiano@projectgradli.org.

Project GRAD Long Island is a one of 13 Project GRAD sites in the Project GRAD USA network, and the only site in New York. In addition to funding college scholarships to qualified students, Project GRAD offers summer enrichment programs, college application support and financial aid counseling and one-on-one mentoring provided by members of the business community at no charge.