Thru the Lens: The Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation raises $17,000 for Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley

Shown (from left) are: Sadiki Pierre; Mary Prenon; Tom Conklin, CEO, Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley; Eydie Lopez, HGAR Make-A-Wish Committee Chair; Michelle Gilliard; Angela Demaris; Elsa Seguinot and Erica Sallahian

White Plains, NY The Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation, the charitable arm of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR), raised $17,000 for Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley at its “Red Carpet Spectacular” Gala held this spring at the Clubhouse at Patriot Hills in Stony Point. The Tarrytown-based non-profit organization grants the wishes of Hudson Valley children suffering with life-threatening medical conditions.

This year’s event featured a red carpet entryway with a photographer and special “Make-A-Wish” backdrop, a caricature artist, raffles for a variety of donated gift baskets, and a Grand Door Prize of Yankees tickets.  “Acute Inflections” jazz duo provided live entertainment during the cocktail hour.

“We are so grateful to this Association for all it has done for our organization over the years,” said Tom Conklin, Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley CEO.  “With the average cost of a wish ranging from $7,500 to $10,000, you will help us make so many more wishes come true.”  Over the past 20 years, HGAR, which now includes the former Orange County Association of Realtors, has raised over $300,000 for Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley.

The event’s special guest speaker was Ramiro Vargas, 15, a recent “Wish” recipient. Two years ago, Ramiro was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and required a bone marrow transplant. His sister Elena, now 13, donated her bone marrow to save his life. The East Fishkill teen is now a healthy high school sophomore.

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.

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR) is a not-for-profit trade association consisting of over 10,000 real estate professionals doing business in the Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and Orange counties.   It is the second largest Realtor Association in New York, and one of the largest in the country. The Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service (HGMLS), owned by HGAR, offers some 20,000 properties in the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. It is among the top 50 largest MLSs in the country.