58 THE QUEENS COURIER • HOLIDAY • DECEMBER 21, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
holiday
Pilot program gives NYC former servicemen
and women free admission to Broadway shows
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
A new pilot program is giving New
York City’s former servicemen and
women an opportunity to see Broadway
shows for no cost.
Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich has
partnered with the Th eatre Development
Fund (TDF), the nonprofi t service organization
dedicated to bringing the performing
arts to everyone, to create the
TDF Veterans Th eatregoing Program.
Under the new program, the city’s former
servicemen and women of all ages
and who have served in any branch of
the armed forces can have low-cost or
no-cost admission to select Broadway
shows.
“I am proud to support TDF’s Veterans
Th eatregoing Program, which will give
our nation’s heroes access to some of
the most popular shows on Broadway,”
said Councilman Eric Ulrich, chair of the
Veterans Committee. “Th ough we will
never be able to fully repay the sacrifi ces
of our brave men and women in uniform,
this initiative serves as a small token
of appreciation to New York City’s veterans.
I’d like to thank TDF, and all participating
groups, for turning this vision into
a reality.”
Th e program launched on Dec. 17 with
50 veterans attending a matinee performance
of “Miss Saigon.” Funding from
Ulrich and the New York City Council
will allow TDF to off er a limited number
of free tickets to Broadway shows, which
will be distributed through partnering
veterans groups.
Additionally, talks with veterans who
are working with each production will be
off ered in order to build a sense of community
with former service members in
attendance. TDF will also off er complimentary
memberships to any participating
veterans, so they can continue their
theatergoing at reduced costs.
Future performances for the TDF
Veterans Th eatregoing Program include
“Beautiful” on Sunday, Jan. 21; “Come
From Away” on Th ursday, Jan. 25;
“School of Rock” on Monday, Jan. 29;
“Chicago” on Sunday, Feb. 4; “A Bronx
Tale” on May 16; and “Kinky Boots” on
Saturday, May 19.
“We’re thankful to Councilman Ulrich
for off ering us the opportunity to be
able to serve this wonderful group of
New Yorkers,” said Victoria Bailey, TDF’s
executive director. “Th is pilot program
helps solidify our ongoing commitment
to make sure that everyone in New York
City has access to the performing arts.”
Flushing groups to prepare 300 meals for those in need
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Community groups and leaders will
come together in Flushing to provide a
festive meal to those in need this holiday
season.
Organized by the Greater Flushing
Chamber of Commerce, the Annual
Holiday Community Meal will take place
on Christmas Eve at St. George’s Church.
Volunteers at the event will provide 300
hot holiday meals to those less fortunate.
Danny’s Steakhouse & Oyster Bar
in College Point will cook the meals.
Restaurateurs Danny Lye and Ivy Zheng
said the event was an important way to
give back to the community.
“I hope more business owners will join
us in celebrating the spirit of Christmas
and help donate food in the future, so we
can feed more people,” Lye said.
A team of volunteers from a number
of local civic groups, including
the Flushing Interfaith Council, the
Hindu Temple Society, the Unitarian
Universalist Congregation of Queens
and La Jornada, will help make the event
possible.
According to advocacy group Hunger
Free America, 40 percent of the food
pantries and soup kitchens in New York
City didn’t have enough food to meet
the demand in 2017. Pedro Rodriguez,
founder of the Flushing-based La
Jornada food pantry, said the organization
has seen “an incredible increase” in
the number of people it serves.
“For the past four years, La Jornada
has been serving immigrants and those
who are poor in Flushing,” he said. “It
is so good to see our own chamber of
commerce joining us in this fi ght against
hunger and poverty in our community.”
Th ose interested in volunteering at
the event may still do so through the
Facebook event page.
Th e event will take place on Sunday,
Dec. 24, from 3 to 5 p.m. at St. George’s
Church, located at 135-32 38th Ave.
Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jason J. Brown/Released
Photo courtesy of the offi ce of Councilman Eric Ulrich
