Businessman Donates Bag Fee To Huntington Hospital

IGA owner Charlie Reichert, left, is joined by, from right, Suffolk Legislator Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) and Fort Salonga IGA’s manager Ryan Ceriello last week to announce the donation of the store’s plastic bag fees to Huntington Hospital. Photo/Office of Legis. Robert Trotta

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The owner of five IGA markets has decided to donate the proceeds from Suffolk’s 5-cent plastic bag fee to local hospitals.

Charlie Reichert, of Northport, announced last Friday the money his Fort Salonga and East Northport IGA market locations collect via the bag fee will go to Huntington Hospital instead of the store’s coffers.

The fees collected at his East End locations will be donated to Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

The county law that requires retailers to charge 5 cents per plastic bag used by a customer was approved by the Suffolk Legislature in September 2016, and implemented at the start of this year.

Reichert said he came up with the idea to donate the fee after he heard customers complaining about having to pay a nickel for plastic bags, and that the money was just going back into the retailer’s pockets.

“I asked what they thought if the money went to a local charity and everyone liked the idea, so that is what I am doing,” Reichert said. “As a local businessman, I think it is so important to give back to the community where you do business.”

Legislator Robert Trotta (R- Fort Salonga) said he supports Reichert’s decision to donate the money, and is encouraging other retailers in Suffolk to do the same.

“I want to see the private businesses voluntarily donating the money to charities, because that way the money is going right back into the community, rather than the county government getting the money and spending it inefficiently,” Trotta said.

Following Reichert’s announcement, Trotta said he has reached out to other businesses that have locations on Long Island, including CVS, Target and Walmart, to try and get more companies to embrace the idea. Trotta said several Shop Rite locations have “jumped on board” and are in the process of establishing a partnership to donate their bag fees back to a Long Island charity for homeless veterans.

“I’d rather see business owners handle the money than the county government,” Trotta said. “In my four years as a legislator, I have seen enough wasteful spending for a lifetime.”

This is not the first time that Reichert has contributed to Huntington Hospital, and hospital officials acknowledged his philanthropic spirit.

“Charles and Helen Reichert have been great supporters of Huntington Hospital for many years,” Huntington Hospital’s executive director Dr. Gerard Brogan Jr. said. “We greatly appreciate all of their generosity toward the hospital including this most recent bag fee donation.”

The president and CEO of Northwell Health Michael Dowling confirmed Trotta’s hope that the bag fees will be reinvested in the local community.

Dowling said, “Rest assured, the donation will be reinvested in services that benefit the Huntington community.”