From The PTCA Social Commission

Park Tower’s Annual Independence Day Picnic takes a lot of work and a lot of people but the rewards are great.

What’s better than a beautiful summer evening on our gorgeous deck sitting, relaxing, eating and drinking with our neighbors, enjoying perfect summer weather with a light breeze off the lake and watching those fantastic fireworks from Saddle & Cycle Club?!

The committee, including Bob Shamo, John Yardley, Monique Fouant, Rita Allison, Shalise Ayromloo, Sheri Hodges, Stephen Weiss and myself, have been working since March to make this party happen.

The result was 47 amazing volunteers, who filled 105 volunteer shifts and attendance by 517 people! Enormous support was provided by Tim Patricio and our Management Team, especially Vanessa Glass and Danny Bravman, from Patrik Janic and our Maintenance Team, especially especially Bill Rini, Kayland Tillman, Szymon Szuster and Steven Thomas – our Front Desk staff, especially Ken Hill, Angel Wilson, Daniel Klimczak and Maurice Miller – our Security staff, especially Adonis Bell, Daniel Klimczak and Mike Dickey – and our Garage staff. Thank you to our Board for supporting this event.

Here is a list of your neighbors who volunteered to publicize the event and find volunteers, to set up the party, decorate the room, to order, purchase, pick up and deliver food and drink, to serve, to lend their coolers, to lead dancing, to wash up, clean up and put everything away –

Lloyd Allison, Rita Allison, Sheldon Atovsky, Neil Averick, Paul Baczek, Heidi Baruch, Debbie Bell, Cheryl Bombay, Mimi Broeker, Eve Brownstone, Sue Burke, Maggy Burnes, Jim Cundiff, Kevin DePhillips, Vince DiFruscio, Marty Fiesler, Monique Fouant, Terry Gorman, Angela Gottschalk, Joe Guzzardo, Sheri Hodges, Cairn Hutter, Jim Jardine, Nikoo Karbassi, Catherine Kestler, Angelica LaRosa, Sherman Lundy. Ida Manning. Baldev Mehra. Antje Milcke-Nickels, Ann Murray. Hossain Naziri. Michael Parrie. Becky Rossof. Clare Salamon. Bob Shamo. Razia Sultana. Betty Terry-Lundy. John Thorne. Carlos Vargas. Sharon Walker. Steve Weiss. Anne Whiting. Tabitha Wiggins. Dale Woods, John Yardley. Sissi Zhu.

Thank you for donations of cutlery and napkins sealed in plastic from Maggy Burnes,  cups and soda from Sue Burke and Jerry Finn, and cake spatulas from Debbie Bell.

We loved how Eve Brownstone, who led our line dancing, encouraged so many others to lead dances in so many other styles, Persian, Indian, Latin and how our DJ, Creagh Bennewate was able to produce the music needed with such wonderful diversity.

We are very happy, also, to work with our caterer, Alicia Gellineau, and her very professional and helpful staff. They do a lot of work behind the scenes at the last minute and really make it all happen.

The next time you run into these neighbors and staff give them a big smile and a warm thank you. They have all worked very hard to provide us all a wonderful celebration and a wonderful night.