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Speziale foundation benefit raises $40,000
(by Tom Boud - April 21, 2008)
The Jerry Speziale Community Outreach Foundation held its first Italian night/Jerry Speziale birthday bash Saturday, April 19. A sold out crowd of 350, chiefly foundation supporters and Passaic County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) personnel, filled the United Food Commercial Workers hall on Paterson Avenue in Little Falls. The affair raised a five-digit dollar sum for the charity performing organization.
The occasion featured a buffet, plaque presentations, and an attention commanding Elvis Presley impersonator. Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale, 48, and his wife Maggie celebrated their nearly calendar coinciding birthdays. Speziale said he and his younger spouse were born three days apart, both on Good Friday.
Two foundation trustees - Bob Calcagno and Joe Di Pasquale - emceed the function. On the stage, a continuous seven by seven-foot projection slide show blinked away. Displayed were images of the PCSD’s and foundation’s activities.
Before dinner, a special acknowledgement ceremony took place for some special honorees. One of them was Dr. Rick Doerr, a local foundation supporter who is headed to the 2008 summer Olympics in China as a paralympic sailing team captain.
Doerr hailed Speziale for spearheading his humanitarian organization. "What the sheriff does with his outreach foundation is truly a magnanimous effort."
Speziale then gave a short speech and said he was touched by the turnout. He remarked about the shindig’s scale, noting the delight of "when your birthdays start going this way."
The sheriff told the audience it deserves recognition for the Jerry Speziale Outreach Foundation’s existence. "I want to thank each and every one of you. I get the credit, but the hard work comes from the men and women in this room. All of these people make the Speziale foundation."
During his address, Speziale hailed Passaic County Freeholder Bruce James as the "law enforcement freeholder." The sheriff said the PCSD will continue its conscientious service despite cutbacks due to county budget crisis.
"Over the past few months, it’s been a very difficult time for Passaic County. The floor has fallen out of the economy. We have to do more with less, but we’ll certainly do that."
The sheriff said the PCSD and the foundation will remain vibrant. "Lucky, we’re here to make sure we continue to provide to the community and its needs."
After dinner, Di Pasquale introduced the night’s entertainment: Tony Grova’s Memories of Elvis. Grova took the stage in a white gem-studded suit and performed for more than an hour with a number of Presley hits like "Burnin’ Love," "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," and "All Shook Up." Grova even treated the sheriff to a rendition of "My Way."
"I’ve known you a long, long, time, 35 years, and I want to dedicate this song to you for doing it your way." True to his flamboyant personality, Speziale jumped on stage to join the Elvis actor at the song’s conclusion.
At the gig’s end, Grova said despite society’s numerous Elvis impersonators, none can equal the real Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, who died on Aug, 16, 1977, at his Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenn. He was 42.
At the end, Jerry Speziale was bestowed with a birthday cake and a Harley Davidson biker’s jacket. The sheriff then expressed his gratitude for the gift. Di Pasquale then urged the invitees to partake in cake and coffee.
Speziale earlier said the event did a great deal of good for his altruistic foundation. "We’ll probably do about $40,000 that will go to children, seniors, and the underprivileged. This is for the common good. This is to take care of people that need to be taken care of."
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