Theater Raises $50K For Northport Church, Food Pantry

A $50,000 check is presented to Ecumenical Lay Council Food Pantry of Northport at the First Presbyterian Church of Northport on Tuesday. Pictured, from left, are: Kevin J. O’Neill, theater co-owner; Rev. Rachel Vione, interim pastor at the church; Donna Galluccio, chairperson of the food pantry; Martha Keller, manager of the food pantry; and Richard T. Dolce, theater co-owner. Photo/Jessie Eppelheimer

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

The biggest donation ever awarded by John W. Engeman Theater was doled out on Tuesday.

Theater co-owners Richard Dolce and Kevin O’Neill and presented a $50,000 check to the Ecumenical Lay Council Food Pantry of Northport, which is based in the First Presbyterian Church of Northport. The money will go towards operations of both the church and food pantry.

Funds were raised through the theater’s holiday season production of “Annie.” After each performance, members of the cast collected donations from audience members for the food pantry.

O’Neill, who’s also the theater’s managing director, said this is the fourth year the theater has donated to the food pantry. The donations total $140,000 over that span.

Rev. Rachel Vione, interim pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Northport, said the $50,000 will be used for revitalization projects like revamping the parking lot, and supplying the food pantry.

The pantry is housed within the church’s 330 Main St. space. It provides food to 160 families in the Northport-East Northport area on a weekly basis.

“There are people in the area that are struggling,” O’Neill said. “We applaud the work that the pantry does and we’re very happy to help move the needle, whether it be buying products or gift cards for families in the area or helping the First Presbyterian Church maintain and upgrade the facilities where the food pantry is housed. It’s our pleasure and our privilege to be associated with them.”

Vione said she was shocked at the amount raised this year by the theater.

“This is the best year that they’ve had and we’re just thrilled that they support us that way,” Vione said. “They’ve been really generous with us in the past but they really had a good effort this year as far as collecting the funds so we’re really happy.”

Vione said the support goes full circle, as the church allows the theater to valet park vehicles in the church parking lot during shows.

“We have a good partnership with them in the community and Kevin likes to make sure that we keep that going, and that their profit from the theater comes back to support people in the community,” Vione said. “We house the Ecumenical Lay Council Food Pantry here in the basement of our church and the outreach there to the families in our community in Northport and East Northport is a vital part of our mission at the church and the theater recognizes that.”

O’Neill said that over the years, the theater has grown in its patronage, with 2017 bringing 110,000 people to the theater.

In the past, the theater has raised over $1.3 million for local charities and nonprofit organizations, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Long Island Red Cross.