Dear Fellow Chamber Members and Residents of the Massapequa’s,

As I write this on Christmas Eve, I am reflecting on what a wonderful holiday season we have shared here in Massapequa. It began with our 5th Annual Holiday Fair, which truly kicked off the festivities with holiday shopping, festive activities, and a special visit from Santa Claus. I extend my sincere thanks to everyone who attended and supported this cherished community tradition, with special appreciation to our Main Sponsor, Investment Insight Wealth Management, along with CMIT Solutions of South Nassau, TLC Home Care, Long Island Snapshotz, and Legame Permanent Jewelry, for their generous support. A special thank you as well to our Holiday Fair Event Co-Chairs, Randi Jankowski and Isabelle Rapacciuolo, whose hard work helped make this year’s event better than ever. As we close out the year, I am incredibly proud of all we accomplished together and excited about the many events planned for 2026.

We were also grateful for the incredible support that made our Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremony such a special evening for our community. Families enjoyed visiting with Santa, festive music, and student performances that truly captured the spirit of the holidays. A sincere thank-you to our main sponsor, Masone Masonry, for helping transform Klestinec Park into a beautiful winter wonderland, along with our Gold Star Sponsors CMIT Solutions, J.P. Scar Inc., Apple Bank, Massapequa Imaging, and TLC Home Care, for their generous support in making this special evening possible. We also extend our thanks to Broadway Gourmet for donating hot cocoa and cookies, helping everyone stay warm while celebrating together. Thank you to Sal Polito and Gary Slavin for their donations as well. Special appreciation goes to Chairperson Lucrezia Falacara and to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and make the evening so memorable.

Our Annual Holiday Party at Mercato Kitchen & Cocktails was also a lovely evening enjoyed by all who attended.

We were proud to close out the season on a high note with our successful Toys for Tots collection and press conference at our new Chamber office. We continue this special tradition in memory of our Past President and friend Patricia Orzano. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community and the participation of 25 Chamber member businesses, hundreds of toys were collected and will bring joy to many children in need this holiday season. A heartfelt thank-you to Toy Committee Chairperson Karen Gawrych and the committee for their dedication and hard work, as well as to all of our members who proudly displayed Toys for Tots collection boxes and helped make this initiative such a meaningful success. Patty’s legacy lives on through this program.

This month also brought moments of sadness. We were deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our dear friend Carol Leff, a longtime former board member whose dedication to our Chamber and community will always be remembered. Carol will be truly missed. Our hearts are also with our Past President, Robert Barrett, on the loss of his brother Michael. Losing a loved one is never easy, especially during the holiday season, and we extend our deepest condolences to the Leff and Barrett families during this difficult time.

Wishing you and your families a very Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Warm regards,

Robin Hepworth