By: Michelle Velez

Al Urban - Security The Garden City Bird Sanctuary, in conjunction with the Garden City High School's Help Our Planet Earth (HOPE) Club, held its First Annual Benefit Yard Sale. Thanks to the generous donations by residents, there was a multitude of items available for sale. This event was so successful that it will become an annual event. It raised money for the Bird Sanctuary and the World Wildlife Fund. Additionally, a small amount of unsold items was donated to the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) to help the homeless on Long Island.

The WWF has worked for more than 45 years towards its goal of conserving 19 of the world's most important natural places and significantly changing global markets to protect the future of nature. The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally.

The Bird Sanctuary and HOPE Club thank all of the people who donated items for sale. Their generous support made the First Annual Benefit Yard Sale very successful. They would like to thank the following families and organizations: Baileys, Birds, Bressinghams, Butlers, Chus, Collins, Community Club of GC, Crowleys, Daltons, DeBolds, D'Espositos, Edelmans, Elustondos, Fardelmanns, Fays, Flynns, Garden City Community Church, Garden City Community Club, the GCHS HOPE Club, Gerings, Goldsmiths, Hansons, Hauswirths, Hoera-Tittlers, Kepplers, Lanzos, Leones, Logans, Los Kamps, Martens, Macalusos, McHughs, Millers, Muscarellas, Nanayakkaras, Nobles, Obrenskis, Odells, Olivers, Pesces, Pepes, Pinous, Quinns, Regas, Reichenbachs, Saltiels, Senas, Seskins, Smiths, Spains, Sus, Timmins, Tomitzs, Urbans, Velezs, Victorinos, Ways, Weidenhofs, Werners, Yassos, and Alveys.

Michelle Velez - HOPE Officer & Christine Koncick- GCHS A special thanks is also extended to the following HOPE and high school helpers: Mr. Robert Weidenhoft- HOPE club advisor, Tom Elustondo, Christine Koncick, Amanda Nanayakkara, Andrew Reichenbach, Danielle Saltiel, Victoria Seskin, Suzanne Tomitz, Michelle Velez, Colleen Way, and friends. The HOPE club, lead by Co-Presidents Emily Werner and Danielle Saltiel, has helped with other GCBS Bird Sanctuary events, including the annual Halloween Festival and Haunted Hike. HOPE has visited the Garden City's primary schools, Homestead, Hemlock & Locust, to teach the children about recycling. HOPE has had periodic beach clean-ups, and other environmental activities for its members

HOPE Co - President, Stephanie Bird - GCBS Director & Gina DeBold - GCBS Director The Bird Sanctuary and HOPE club also are thankful for the support and assistance of the GCBS Directors: Gina DeBold, Stephanie Bird, and Tim Martens. They're also grateful for the adult volunteers: Mason Los Kamp, Jim Werner, Jeanette Chu, Mary Logan, the Velez family, the Seskin family, Al Urban, and Robert Alvey.

The GCBS Garden City Bird Sanctuary is open Saturdays & Sundays from 12 noon to 5pm. For further info on upcoming events, call Robert Alvey at 516-326-1720. For information about the High School HOPE Club, please call Emily Werner at 877-1164.

Jeanette Chu - Adult Helper Emily Werner- HOPE Co - President, Michelle Velez- HOPE Officer & Victoria Seskin- HOPE