See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Will Bredderman
Brooklyn Daily
It’s a love letter to our nation’s military families.
Bay Ridge watering hole Bar Ridge has collected dozens of donated toys and handmade Valentine’s Day cards over the past several days on behalf of the United War Veterans Council — which will be delivering goodwill gifts to wounded warriors and their kids at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland next week.
“The basket was just overflowing with toys and assorted goodies,” said Molly Levi, volunteer manager and director of communications for the Council, which has been doing its Goodwill Valentine’s Caravan for eight years.
This was the first year Bar Ridge — on Fifth Avenue between 89th and 90th streets — has been involved in the effort, thanks to its new owners, who set up a collection box inside the neighborhood hot spot and asked other local business owners and customers to contribute.
“A lot of us on Fifth Avenue, the bar owners, are very close, so we all worked together on this, and the patrons understand why this is important, and so they want to help out as well,” said Bar Ridge’s new co-owner — and Levi’s nephew — Michael Crapanzano. “It’s important that we give back to those who have given so much.”
The Council, which runs the New York City Veterans Day Parade in Manhattan, has held several collections and giveaways at borough presidents’ and district attorneys’ offices citywide.