Realtors' Foundation Benefit To Feature Parent Of 'Make-a-Wish' Recipient

SOUTHEAST-BREWSTER, NY - From the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors: The Hudson Gateway REALTOR® Foundation, a division of the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR), is hosting an exciting “Black & White Masquerade Ball” on Thursday September 28 from 6 to 10 pm at the Falkirk Estate and Country Club in Central Valley. The event will mark the 20th Anniversary of the Association’s support of Make-A-Wish®Hudson Valley, a non-profit group that grants the wishes of Hudson Valley children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Diane Tarantelli of Mahopac will be the featured speaker at the event. Her son Stefano, now 11, received his wish at 5 ½ years old, when the family was able to enjoy a carefree vacation at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Stefano was born with microcephaly, a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than expected. As a result, his brain was not able to fully develop and he remains non-verbal, non-ambulatory, and prone to seizures. “Life hasn’t been that easy for us,” Tarantelli admitted.

Describing their experience as “beyond amazing,” Tarantelli applauded Make-A-Wish® for handling every detail – from providing oxygen machines and heart monitors to planning an extraordinary vacation that the family still remembers “like it was just yesterday.” “Typically our lives are spent running from doctor to doctor. They gave us a week where we didn’t have to think about one thing,” she said. “I don’t know how Stefano realized what was happening, but he knew something was very different and very special.”

Upon returning from their trip, Tarantelli decided she had to give back to the organization and became a volunteer. She began speaking at various events and is now also one of their “wish granters.” “They changed my life and it’s so rewarding to give the gift that someone gave to me,” she said.

Tarantelli said she’s honored to speak at this year’s Foundation benefit, featuring an open bar, appetizers, passed hors d’oeuvres, buffet dining, coffee and dessert, plus a DJ and dancing. In addition, there will be keepsake photos for all attendees, exciting raffle items, door prizes, and more. Tickets are $100 per person and all proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish® Hudson Valley.

Despite the challenges of raising a developmentally disabled child, Tarantelli describes Stefano as “the joy of our lives.” “After having two miscarriages, I was just so happy with whatever God gave to us.”

For more information about the event, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.HGAR.com.

About Make-A-Wish® Hudson Valley

Make-A-Wish® grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1986, the chapter has granted wishes to over 2,400 children in the communities it serves. The wish experience is a combined community effort involving volunteers, staff, donors and medical professionals to make each wish come true.

The Chapter is a proud participant of the Better Business Bureau Charity Seal Program, which indicates that the organization has met the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. The Chapter serves Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. The organization is currently working on 150 wishes with the average cost of a wish ranging from $7,500 to $10,000. For more information about the Hudson Valley Chapter visit www.hudson.wish.org.

About the Hudson Gateway REALTOR® Foundation

Established in 2004 and relaunched in 2013, the Foundation has donated thousands of dollars to charities and non-profits throughout the Hudson Valley. As concerned members of the communities we work in, the Hudson Gateway REALTOR® Foundation participates in qualified community-based charities who serve the housing, hunger, health, happiness, and humane needs of citizens everywhere.

The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit trade association representing almost 11,000 real estate professionals doing business in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and Orange counties, as well as the Bronx and Manhattan. It is the second largest REALTOR® Association in New York, and one of the largest in the country. It owns and operates the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service (HGMLS), offering more than 18,000 properties in the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. It is among the top 50 largest MLSs in the country.

Image via Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation