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QUEENS WEEKLY, DEC. 15, 2019
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer launched the 10th annual
holiday food drive across western Queens.
Photo via Shutterstock
BY BILL PARRY
Western Queens residents
hoping to donate to the
less fortunate this holiday
season can support Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer’s
10th annual food drive.
All collected items will
go to the women and children
who receive services at
the Long Island City-based
nonprofit Hour Children.
The food drive allows
members and friends of the
community to donate nonperishable
food items such
as canned meats, canned
soups, canned vegetables,
canned or dried fruit, infant
formula, peanut butter,
dried goods, and other pasta,
rice and grains.
“It’s an honor to help people
in need, food is a basic
need for all of our residents
and our holiday food drive is
a way to address that need,”
Van Bramer said. “I represent
a community of people
who are determined to overcome
obstacles. My role as
a Council member has led
me to meet many families
who try to shoulder great
burdens. The holiday food
drive is a small, yet an effective
way of helping those
families who rarely, if ever,
reach out for help.”
Participants may drop
food off at any of the seven
locations around western
Queens, including Van
Bramer’s district office located
at 47-01 Queens Blvd.
Suite 205 in Sunnyside, or at
any of the Queens Public Library
branches in western
Queens, including the new
Hunters Point Library on
Center Boulevard in Long
Island City.
“Hour Community Food
Pantry serves our local residents
but also people from
throughout Queens and
beyond,” Hour Children Development
Director Megan
Campbell said. “We handled
nearly 10,000 visits last year
from people in need, an
increase over prior years.
This time of year, people are
incredibly generous. But
hunger of course is yearround,
and donations are
what keeps us going.”
In 1986, Sister Tesa
Fitzgerald, helped develop
a home in Long Island City
for children whose mothers
were incarcerated. She got
to know the mothers when
she brought their children
to visit, and quickly realized
that the women would need
additional support if they
were to successfully reunite
with their children after
their release. Incorporated
in 1992, Hour Children has
since become a leading provider
of prison- and community
based family services
to support women and children
as they reunite, stabilize
and transform their
lives.
“We’re grateful for great
friends who remember us
and their neighbors in need
even when the holidays are
over,” Campbell said.
For more information
regarding the holiday food
drive, contact Van Bramer’s
district office at 718-383-
9566.
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
Goldfi sh Swim School to open at
Flushing Tangram development
The aquatics school is taking an approximately 8,000-square-foot space at Tangram, the 1.2 million square foot mixeduse
development in Flushing, with plans to open by spring 2021. Courtesy of Goldfish Swim School
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Goldfish Swim School,
the leading learn-to-swim
franchise with close to
over 100 locations nationwide,
just signed their
first indoor shopping mall
location at Tangram, the
1.2 million square foot
mixed-use development
transforming the Flushing
lifestyle, the developers announced
today.
“In line with the company’s
core values educating
children on water safety
while teaching them how
to swim and respect water,
Tangram is the ideal development
to raise a family
with recreational activities
at their fingertips in
Downtown Flushing,” said
Robert Wineman, partner
in BHB Group, the owner
of Goldfish Swim School
Flushing at Tangram. “We
couldn’t be more excited to
bring Goldfish’s state-ofthe
art swim facility, high
quality instruction and
impressive water safety
curriculum to families in
Flushing, Queens.”
Goldfish Swim School,
located at 133-27 39th Ave.,
has committed to an approximately
8,000 squarefoot
space at Tangram with
plans to open by spring
2021.
As an official partner of
the USA Swimming Foundation,
Goldfish Swim School
at Tangram will be a firstclass
swimming facility featuring
a 75-foot, three-lane
pool with a viewing area for
parents and caretakers as
well as a snack bar. Teaching
more than 130,000 children
from infants to 12-years-old
per week across the country
how to swim and gain
critical life skills, Goldfish
Swim School’s philosophy
“The Science of Swim Play”
is designed to make guided
play, fun, safe environments
and achievements into one
experience.
Goldfish Swim School
will also offer fun family
swim lessons, perfect
for bonding as kids flaunt
their swim skills to their
parents. Swimmers can
also host their next birthday
party at Goldfish Swim
School Tangram location,
with a special party package
including invitations,
two hours of private access
to the facility, certified
lifeguards, cupcakes and
beverages, balloons, decorations
and more.
The Tangram location
expects to accommodate
more than 3,000 kids as
well as their parents each
week. After kids and parents
have finished their
session at Goldfish Swim
School, they can treat
themselves to a nice meal
at restaurants just steps
away at Tangram, or grab
a quick bite at the food hall
and head to other exciting
attractions the development
offers.
“Retail nowadays
needs to be rethought in
such a way that it portrays
experiences as opposed
to traditional brick and
mortar leasing. Tangram
continues to exemplify
this with the addition of
experienced-based retailers
such as Goldfish Swim
School,” said Helen Lee,
executive vice president of
F&T Group, which is developing
Tangram with SCG
America. “The addition
of Goldfish Swim School
signifies the seamless lifestyle
we are offering here
and is the perfect daytime
and weekend junior tenant
for Tangram.”
The lease was facilitated
by Steve Gillman from
SCG Retail representing
Goldfish Swim School and
Seth Kessler and Ian Rice
on behalf of SCG Retail representing
Tangram.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4526.
Holiday food drive begins
in western Queens nabes
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