Seinfeld Helping With Hurricane Relief, Red Cross Update

Bristal Assisted Living will donate $25,000 worth of tickets towards comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s benefit performance that will be held Dec. 19 at NYCB Theater in Westbury, with all proceeds going to aid those providing relief to the victims of Hurricane Sandy and many of those hard hit by the storm’s devastation.

The Bristal Assisted Living will be transferring the tickets to the office of Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and several of Long Island’s hard hit south shore townships for distribution to first responders and many of those who have lost their homes to Hurricane Sandy. These include the Towns of Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Babylon and the City of Long Beach.

Seinfeld, along with Colin Quinn, will be donating 100 percent of the proceeds from that show, in addition to previously-sold-out performances at the Walt Whitman Theater in Brooklyn and at the St. George Theater in Staten Island, to local relief organizations.

"I grew up on Long Island, and New York City is home," Seinfeld said. "This is a tough time for this area, and we're just glad to be able to help in the recovery."

Tickets for the 7 p.m. performance on Dec. 19 are available online on StubHub.

Click here to read more about the Seinfeld charity event.

Red Cross Issues One-Month Progress Report on Response to Sandy

The American Red Cross has issued a progress report on its efforts over the past month to provide food, water, shelter, relief supplies, healthcare and other assistance to people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Sandy was a major storm that impacted an area the size of Europe. The Red Cross mobilized more than 14,400 trained disaster workers to date – 90 percent of them volunteers - to help people affected by the storm. Today, nearly 3,000 workers are still on the job, providing food, water, shelter, and relief supplies. The Red Cross has also deployed more than 300 of its emergency response vehicles and is also utilizing rental cars, trucks and other vehicles to help.

In the first month since Sandy hit, the Red Cross provided almost 79,000 shelter stays for Sandy, part of an overall shelter response that provided more than 153,000 shelter stays. The Red Cross has also:

• Provided more than 7.4 million meals and snacks through its partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention to people affected by Sandy in New York and New Jersey.
• Distributed more than 5.2 million relief items including cold weather items like coats and blankets and supplies to help people as they begin the massive clean-up of their neighborhoods.
• Provided more than 86,000 health services and mental health contacts for people who have been living in very tough conditions.
  

The Red Cross has raised nearly $170 million to date for Sandy and estimates that it will spend $110 million on the emergency relief through the end of December. Any funds donated for Sandy beyond what is needed for emergency relief will be put to use serving the long-term needs of those affected by this disaster.

The Red Cross is developing specific plans that will include a comprehensive needs assessment of the affected communities and individuals; plans that will identify resources available from both the Red Cross and other organizations.

The report can be found online at www.redcross.org.

Police Warn of Kidnap Scam

Nassau County Police are searching for a man trying to extort money over the phone in a kidnap scam.

Police say 13 incidents have been reported since Nov. 1 and each has involved a caller stating that a family member had been kidnapped, held hostage or involved in an auto accident. The caller then asks the victim to send money, usually through Western Union, to save or help the family member.

Click here to read more about the kidnap scam.

Schumer Calls on US Air Force to Bring Thunderbirds Back to Air Show

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer this week called on the United States Air Force to bring the Thunderbirds back to the 2013 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach over Memorial Day weekend.

This will be the Air Show’s 10th anniversary and the first major event since Hurricane Sandy seriously damaged the iconic New York State Park. With the squadron’s notable absence at the 2011 Air Show, Schumer urged to have the Thunderbirds return to Long Island.

In 2011, the Thunderbirds missed the Air Show because of an air show in Turkey. That year, with neither the Thunderbirds nor the Blue Angels present, the event saw a dramatic drop in weekend attendance from 357,000 in 2010 to 251,000.

Schumer said this week that because the Blue Angels will not be attending the 2013 show, the Thunderbirds should attend in order to attract a large crowd. Schumer pointed to Hurricane Sandy and noted that Long Island is in need of extra revenue.