March started off better at least for some families impacted by Hurricane Sandy on the Long Beach barrier island.
A long line formed outside Long Beach Middle School last Friday when Cantor Fitzgerald handed out more than 1,000 debits cards worth $1,000 each to local residents, as part of an estimated $1,350,000 that families from 19 schools in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey and Long Island will receive throughout the month. About 1,350 families with a child that attends one of the five public elementary schools in Long Beach are eligible to receive the $1K debit cards from the financial firm, according to Newsday.
Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and his sister, Edie, founded The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund in 2001, after the company lost 658 employees in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that September. Said Lutnick:
“Families can use this money in any way they see fit. It’s important to help those areas hardest hit by Sandy. Long Beach is a tough community, but insurance just isn’t coming in fast enough, so this is a little of what we can do to help these families rebuild their lives.”
Cantor Fitzgerald announced their donation plan in January. A firm spokesperson said plans are in the works to set up another date to distribute cards to the remainder of local eligible families.
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