When Bill Guarinello rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 19, it signaled more than just the start of trading on Wall Street for the day.
Guarinello, president and CEO of HeartShare Human Services of New York, was also signaling the start of a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the non-profit social services organization.
HeartShare, which was founded in 1914, will host a series of monthly special events to celebrate its centennial in 2014, including a Kick-Off Reception in January. The events, which are listed on the agency’s website, heartshare.org, include a charity 5K run and a golf tournament.
The monthly festivities will be an addition to the agency’s roster of traditional annual fundraising events, including its Annual Spring Gala and Auction, officials said.
HeartShare has placed a timeline and a 100-day countdown to the official centennial date on July 12, 2014 at its headquarters at 12 Metro Tech.
The agency’s Giving Tree, normally a holiday time tradition, will be on permanent display at the headquarters to provide an ongoing opportunity for people to sponsor individual leaves on the tree to show support for HeartShare’s mission.
“We are not only looking back at 100 years of history and at our accomplishments, but also at the extraordinary growth we’ve experienced,” Guarinello said. “With changing program needs throughout the years, we’ve expanded the breadth of our programs and our reach, which sets us apart as a leader among direct service organizations and enhances our ability to support New York communities more effectively. While we are very proud of this growth, our goal to serve children, adults and families in need to live better, healthier and more independent lives remains very much the same as when we first opened.”
HeartShare provides services to nearly 29,000 children, adults and families at over 65 program locations throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island communities. The agency assists people with developmental disabilities, HIV-AIDS and other health-related issues. HeartShare offers educational programs, social service referrals, housing, counseling and job training.
In honor of its 100th anniversary, HeartShare was invited by officials from the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell last Thursday.
Guarinello did the honors at 9:30 a.m. and stood on the podium with several of the agency’s board members, including Chairman Paul J. Torre, Second Vice Chair John T. Sharkey, Treasurer Michael J. Abatemarco, Dr. Joseph A. Caruana and Jonathan C. Goldstein.
Before the opening bell, Stock Exchange officials presented Guarinello with a medal commemorating HeartShare’s centennial.
Guarinello said he got a kick out of ringing the bell. “It was fun to get a behind-the-scenes look at how they do it,” he told the Brooklyn Eagle. “There’s a board there with a big green button. There’s also a countdown clock there. They tell you that when the clock reaches 9:29 and 50 seconds, to press the button and hold it for 10 seconds. Otherwise, I don’t think the bell rings correctly. But they do have a standby in case that happens.”
