School's Open At St. Anne's With "Spirit Day" Right Ahead!

School opened per custom at Saint Anne's this Labor Day week. But for a group of spirited youngsters, aptly named "Father John's Student Design Team," it was equally important to note that a happy and festive "Spirit Day!" was right up ahead on Saturday, September 15 from 1 to 10 P.M. "Rain or shine!"

"Spirit Day," according to Co-chairs Marie Fischer and John Parks and their spouses Mike Fischer and Margaret Parks, is hard to define. They insist, "You've got to experience it!" They've been telling this to parishioners for the past four years and in advance of the Fifth Anniversary next weekend. It seems to have worked for the mass of annual attendees who have taken their advice to make the Saint Anne's Church/School grounds at Dartmouth St. and New Hyde Park Road in Garden City a "must visit" mid-September family fun and shopping site.

Most important to the young "design team" is whether parishioners and friends have bought 800 tickets to a "Big Bucks Bonanza" prize drawing by the "witching hour " of 10 P.M. on Saurday, September 15 when winning tickets will be drawn. If 800 have been sold , it will mean that the design team's goal has been won --the $50,000 funding of the design and furnishing of a chapel memorializing Msgr. William F. Costello whose wit and wisdom was a gift to us at Saint Anne's. It will also mean that some lucky entrants will win respectively a $25,000 grand prize and five runner-up prizes of $5,000 each. As many as five (5) entrants may share one ticket if each is listed.

If fewer than 800 tickets at $125 each are sold, the prize pool will be 50% of the total raised with the prize levels and the funding of the memorial decreased proportionally.

Indoctrinating the youthful design team and coordinating the project will be two well-known liturgical designers Robert Rambusch and Larry Hoy of Renovata design studios. They teamed up in the quick and highly successful renovation of St. Anne's Church back in 1993.

The chapel will be named for St. Theresa Lisieux to whom Msgr. Costello had a particular devotion.

"There's something for everyone in the family at Spirit Day," according to super-planner John Parks. And to prove his point he waves a colorful promotion poster seen throughout Saint Anne's country and beyond. For the youngsters there are basketball contests, all new Respite games, new and exciting inflatable rides, carnival games and activities and a "Teen Night Club". For shoppers there's a fall plant sale and a craft fair.

There's live music with a DJ all day and a live band all evening featuring the "Midnight Express. " And for the "high stakes crowd" there's "A Night at the Races" and above all the "Big Bucks Bonanza" drawing for $50,000 in prizes shortly after 10 PM. If all of this makes you thirsty, you can quench it with a stop at the Beverage Truck manned by "Msgr. John's Knights."

Of course, most popular site of the day and a favorite of Msgr. Costello continues to be the 5 P.M. Saturday Mass conducted out-of-doors.

To order tickets for the $50,000 "Big Bucks Bonanza" please call St. Anne's Rectory at 516- 352-5904 or visit the Rectory 35 Dartmouth Street in Garden City.