Gianna, enjoying her MP3 player that was given out to 300 participants at the party
Toys4Autism lights up Lifestyles for the Disabled
By Joseph Jones, Joseph Padalino, Dolores Palermo, Gregory Perosi, John Yourgel
Life-Wire News for the Staten Island Advance
December 27, 2019
Brought to you by Honda of Staten Island
Something extraordinary happened at the Lifestyles for the Disabled Holiday party.
Usually when our agency has a holiday party, it is a time to dance, eat, hang out and be in the spirit of Christmas and New Year’s. The dance floor is lively and colorful with people packed tight moving like waves to the music.
We know how to have a good time. And this year was no different.
Of course, Santa was a special guest. He came with a lot of helpers too. Students from Staten Island Tech, Brooklyn Tech and New Dorp high schools helped serve drinks and keep the dancing going. Lots of people had Santa hats on as well.
A Lifestyles party is not complete without tasty food. This party was no exception, but it was unusual. We had Chinese food -- lo mein, egg rolls, green beans and teriyaki beef, and sweet and sour chicken. The party was held at our own Lifestyles Education Center, but that was not the extraordinary part.
Good people, good fun, good food make for an exciting, enthusiastic atmosphere.
What was out of the ordinary was Toys 4 Autism, an amazing organization that has distributed hundreds and hundreds of specialized toys for the last three years to people with special needs, came to out party.
Toys 4 Autism started as a toy drive for P.S. 37 when John Sublett put a call out on his Facebook page. His son JJ who is 37 now and has autism, went to the Great Kills school. Sublett thought the drive was a good idea, aware that other families would benefit. He was surprised at the response. He got flooded with gifts for children.
“The toys help coping with day to day situations,” said the South Beach resident. Because he had previously worked with special ed students, he asked for suggestions from Lifestyles where the participants are adults with developmental disabilities. On that advice, he added an MP3 player with earbuds and expanded the theme to Music 4 Autism.
Along with the MP3, loaded with music, a Koosh ball and a Pop Fidget (a round puzzle) help us release pressure and deal with anger and anxiety. They help focus the mind, and they are good physical activities for the hands.
“Toys like this can ease the stress a little bit. It gives them something to do and not concentrate on the chaos around them,” said Sublett.
The activity also provides bonding for father and son.
“This year we did 350 gift bags. So JJ was my elf and he helped put all these toys and candy in the bags,” said Sublett. “It works not only for the people we give it too, but it’s like therapy for him.”
Sublett brought a couple of other elves too -- Maryann Virga, whose son Matthew is a participant at Lifestyles, and Sal Nicolosi. Both had donated to the cause and decided to volunteer at events.
By Joseph Jones, Joseph Padalino, Dolores Palermo, Gregory Perosi, John Yourgel
Life-Wire News for the Staten Island Advance
December 27, 2019
Brought to you by Honda of Staten Island
Something extraordinary happened at the Lifestyles for the Disabled Holiday party.
Usually when our agency has a holiday party, it is a time to dance, eat, hang out and be in the spirit of Christmas and New Year’s. The dance floor is lively and colorful with people packed tight moving like waves to the music.
We know how to have a good time. And this year was no different.
Of course, Santa was a special guest. He came with a lot of helpers too. Students from Staten Island Tech, Brooklyn Tech and New Dorp high schools helped serve drinks and keep the dancing going. Lots of people had Santa hats on as well.
A Lifestyles party is not complete without tasty food. This party was no exception, but it was unusual. We had Chinese food -- lo mein, egg rolls, green beans and teriyaki beef, and sweet and sour chicken. The party was held at our own Lifestyles Education Center, but that was not the extraordinary part.
Good people, good fun, good food make for an exciting, enthusiastic atmosphere.
What was out of the ordinary was Toys 4 Autism, an amazing organization that has distributed hundreds and hundreds of specialized toys for the last three years to people with special needs, came to out party.
Toys 4 Autism started as a toy drive for P.S. 37 when John Sublett put a call out on his Facebook page. His son JJ who is 37 now and has autism, went to the Great Kills school. Sublett thought the drive was a good idea, aware that other families would benefit. He was surprised at the response. He got flooded with gifts for children.
“The toys help coping with day to day situations,” said the South Beach resident. Because he had previously worked with special ed students, he asked for suggestions from Lifestyles where the participants are adults with developmental disabilities. On that advice, he added an MP3 player with earbuds and expanded the theme to Music 4 Autism.
Along with the MP3, loaded with music, a Koosh ball and a Pop Fidget (a round puzzle) help us release pressure and deal with anger and anxiety. They help focus the mind, and they are good physical activities for the hands.
“Toys like this can ease the stress a little bit. It gives them something to do and not concentrate on the chaos around them,” said Sublett.
The activity also provides bonding for father and son.
“This year we did 350 gift bags. So JJ was my elf and he helped put all these toys and candy in the bags,” said Sublett. “It works not only for the people we give it too, but it’s like therapy for him.”
Sublett brought a couple of other elves too -- Maryann Virga, whose son Matthew is a participant at Lifestyles, and Sal Nicolosi. Both had donated to the cause and decided to volunteer at events.
December 18, 2017
By Carol Ann Benanti
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- John Sublett hosted a "Toys 4 Autism" toy drive over the weekend at PS 37, the same Great Kills school his son attended as a child when he was diagnosed with autism.
All toys collected, with the help of John. Jr., were donated to the school.
"I posted on my Facebook page called 'Old Staten Island' that I was running a toy drive for special needs children on Staten Island," said John Sr. "I named my toy drive 'Toys 4 Autism' and I set up a wish list on Amazon and selected special toys that were good for children with ADD, Autism and ADHD. And before I knew it my mail was flooded with gifts for these children."
In total, the father-son duo (John Jr. is now 34) collected 180 small gift bags with each bag containing three small toys, a candy cane, a blow pop and a chocolate marshmallow candy bar.
"South Shore Rotarian Jon Salmon saw what I was doing and led me to a fellow Rotarian, Frank Cilento, who has been giving out chocolate Santas and candy canes to many special ed schools around the Island; and one of the schools was PS 37," John Sr. said. "This was a perfect fit for me. He talked to principal Florence Korsky of PS 37, and it was all set up. On the snowy morning of Thursday, Dec. 14, I met up with three gentlemen from The South Shore Rotary at PS 37."
The day kicked off with a holiday musical show presented by students followed by a roaming Santa who helped distribute the presents to each classroom.
"I was amazed at how well structured each classroom was and how well equipped medically the school was," John Sr. said. "The staff was friendly and caring and all in all it was a great day for everyone -- with great smiles on children's faces when they received their gifts. But besides the kids, you could see the smiles on all adults who were there to share some love."
John said "Toys 4 Autism" was his first drive, but it won't be the last, "thanks to Frank Cilento from the South Shore Rotary, who took the time to coordinate what I was doing with the principal of PS 37. I look forward to working with Frank and The South Shore Rotary in many future ventures."
The Sublett family also extended kudos to others who helped ensure the day's success: Leslie Stevens, Pat Donahue, Christine LaRocca, Rosalie Pantano, Sal Nicolosi, Mary Alfano, Maryann Otto Petti, Derek McAfee, Ida Zakin, Laura Reeves, Marguerite Maria Rivas, Thomas Metzger, Julisa Herrera, Kathy Galloway Shunkwiler, Elizabeth Alster, Debbie O'Shea, Carol Ann and Ralph Esposito, Loraine M. Kriegel, Tricia Danielsen, Valerie Baldini Sublett, Liz Rowland French, April Schifano, Vic Vitale, Dnna Nicholson, Judi Bartolomeo, Vivian Nicolosi Trapani, Kari Kay, Andrew Buchholz, Christopher LoCicdero, Vito and Lauren DiMaio, Susan Brennan Gaglione, Anita Salek, Kelly MacStoker Marshall, Anita Aasen and Diane Ruddock.
By Carol Ann Benanti
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- John Sublett hosted a "Toys 4 Autism" toy drive over the weekend at PS 37, the same Great Kills school his son attended as a child when he was diagnosed with autism.
All toys collected, with the help of John. Jr., were donated to the school.
"I posted on my Facebook page called 'Old Staten Island' that I was running a toy drive for special needs children on Staten Island," said John Sr. "I named my toy drive 'Toys 4 Autism' and I set up a wish list on Amazon and selected special toys that were good for children with ADD, Autism and ADHD. And before I knew it my mail was flooded with gifts for these children."
In total, the father-son duo (John Jr. is now 34) collected 180 small gift bags with each bag containing three small toys, a candy cane, a blow pop and a chocolate marshmallow candy bar.
"South Shore Rotarian Jon Salmon saw what I was doing and led me to a fellow Rotarian, Frank Cilento, who has been giving out chocolate Santas and candy canes to many special ed schools around the Island; and one of the schools was PS 37," John Sr. said. "This was a perfect fit for me. He talked to principal Florence Korsky of PS 37, and it was all set up. On the snowy morning of Thursday, Dec. 14, I met up with three gentlemen from The South Shore Rotary at PS 37."
The day kicked off with a holiday musical show presented by students followed by a roaming Santa who helped distribute the presents to each classroom.
"I was amazed at how well structured each classroom was and how well equipped medically the school was," John Sr. said. "The staff was friendly and caring and all in all it was a great day for everyone -- with great smiles on children's faces when they received their gifts. But besides the kids, you could see the smiles on all adults who were there to share some love."
John said "Toys 4 Autism" was his first drive, but it won't be the last, "thanks to Frank Cilento from the South Shore Rotary, who took the time to coordinate what I was doing with the principal of PS 37. I look forward to working with Frank and The South Shore Rotary in many future ventures."
The Sublett family also extended kudos to others who helped ensure the day's success: Leslie Stevens, Pat Donahue, Christine LaRocca, Rosalie Pantano, Sal Nicolosi, Mary Alfano, Maryann Otto Petti, Derek McAfee, Ida Zakin, Laura Reeves, Marguerite Maria Rivas, Thomas Metzger, Julisa Herrera, Kathy Galloway Shunkwiler, Elizabeth Alster, Debbie O'Shea, Carol Ann and Ralph Esposito, Loraine M. Kriegel, Tricia Danielsen, Valerie Baldini Sublett, Liz Rowland French, April Schifano, Vic Vitale, Dnna Nicholson, Judi Bartolomeo, Vivian Nicolosi Trapani, Kari Kay, Andrew Buchholz, Christopher LoCicdero, Vito and Lauren DiMaio, Susan Brennan Gaglione, Anita Salek, Kelly MacStoker Marshall, Anita Aasen and Diane Ruddock.
