46 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MONTH DAY, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Outdoor art exhibit celebrates Elmhurst Hospital health care workers
BY ALICIA VENTER
EDITORIALQNS.COM
QNS
An outdoor exhibition opened last
month in the Frank D. O’Connor Playground
and NYC Health + Hospitals/
Elmhurst to celebrate the staff who “continue
to bravely fi ght COVID-19, and the
community of artists who came together
to support the hospital at the height of the
pandemic.”
Th e exhibit, titled “Art is Healing,” was
presented by Pictures for Elmhurst, a
small group of New Yorkers who work in
the creative industry, and features work
from more than 20 photographers. Th e
opening reception was held on Wednesday,
Sept. 22.
Th e exhibit stretches across the fencing
Frank D. O’Connor Playground on
Broadway at 78th Street and at NYC
Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst on 41st
Avenue at 80th Street. It is a continuation
of an April 2020 Pictures for Elmhurst
fundraiser for health care workers that
had 33 photographs. New York Citybased
photographer Camila Falquez was
among those partnered with Pictures for
Elmhurst to create 31 original portraits of
the hospital’s staff .
“COVID continues to take a toll on
frontline staff and the community, yet
we come in every day willing to make a
diff erence and save as many lives as we
can. Camila captured the essence of not
only who we are, but what we do,” said
Mamie McIndoe, Care Experience, NYC
Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst on the
Picture for Elmhurst website. “Words
cannot describe the support that we feel
from this community of artists who have
come together for the greater good. May
art continue to prevail and aid in our collective
healing,”
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst was
the “epicenter of the epicenter” of the COVID
19 outbreak in early 2020, and 95% of
the hospital’s operations were dedicated
to COVID-19 patients. During this time,
Pictures for Elmhurst was founded and
launched a print sale fundraiser to assist
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst with
the purchase of PPE and lifesaving equipment,
raising $1.38 million by the end of
the 10-day fundraiser.
“At this trying time, as we continue to
treat a community recovering from the
eff ects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are
so honored to partner with a tremendously
talented group of photographers and visual
artists to recognize our healthcare
workers,” said Helen Arteaga Landaverde,
MPH, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/
Elmhurst. “We will never forget the deep
kindness and generosity of the Pictures for
Elmhurst team.”
Retro Pizza Cafe reopens following devastating fire in Astoria
BY NATALIE LOWIN
EDITORIALQNS.COM
QNS
Retro Pizza Cafe, a popular pizza restaurant
in Astoria, has reopened months
after a devastating fire forced it to close.
Daisy Avraamides, co-owner of the
family-owned business, said it was able
to open thanks to the support and donations
from the Astoria community since
the fire broke out in May.
“All the customers, neighbors and
the community helped to donate,”
Avraamides said. “A customer helped
make a GoFundMe. It was donations, a
little bit of insurance, and Slice online
ordering app that also helped me out.
It was a little bit of everything.”
Retro Pizza Cafe, located at 41-02
Broadway, went up in flames at about
4 a.m. on May 10.
Firefighters were on scene just
minutes after the fire started, but the
damage was still extensive by then although
there were no injuries reported.
The restaurant had to be closed down
for repairs for nearly four and a half
months.
In a statement released on a Go-
FundMe page to help the restaurant at
the time, Avraamides said she and her
family had worked for seven years to
serve their community.
“I own Retro Pizza, a small local
business, with my husband Leo and
my three sons Antoni, Adamo and Alex.
Many of you know how hard we have
been working for the last seven years to
serve our community,” she said.
The GoFundMe, which is still taking
donations, has reached just under
$40,000 of its $70,000 goal.
Now, Avraamides said she just wants
to thank everyone for helping them
return.
“It was overwhelming with all the support
they have been giving me and they
still continue giving me,” Avraamides
said. “They are coming in and saying
how happy they are that we are here also
for them. I’m just thankful for everyone.”
To fi nd the restaurant’s hours and order
online, visit retropizzaastoria.com.
Courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Pictures For Elmhurst co-founders Shayna McClelland and Eliona Cela with the NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst staff included in the “Art Is Healing”
outdoor exhibition with their portraits.
Photo courtesy of Retro Pizza
Retro Pizza in Astoria had reopened following a devastating fi re in May.
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