Bay Ridge Lawyers Breakfast with Santa couldn’t be slowed by COVID

December 20, 2022 Rob Abruzzese

The Bay Ridge Lawyers Association held its annual Breakfast with Santa event in Dyker Heights on Saturday where the bar association invited their family, friends, and local community members for an afternoon of games, toys, and, of course, presents. Pictured from left: Margaret Stanton, Rosa Pannitto, Joseph Vasile, Peter Gibson, and Joann Monaco. Eagle photo by Mario Belluomo

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DYKER HEIGHTS — While everyone is hosting holiday networking events, the Bay Ridge Lawyers Association hosted a community-oriented event that drew more than 100 locals during its annual Breakfast with Santa event that took place at Sirico’s Caterers in Dyker Heights on Dec. 10.

It has been that focus on the family and the local community that has made the Bay Ridge Lawyers event so successful as nearly 150 people attended the event on 13th Avenue.

The annual event was paused briefly during COVID, but this year’s turnout proved that Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights love the annual event.

It kicked off around 11 A.M. with tables for the kids to write letters to Santa or to do arts and crafts. At noon, a brunch buffet was served and the photo booths were brought out. In the afternoon, the activities started, including more crafts and games for the kids. The adults got to participate in an ugly sweater contest and prizes were given out.

The highlight started at about 1:30 P.M. when Rosa Pannitto and her husband Peter Gibson dressed up as Mrs. Claus and Santa and came out to greet and talk to the kids.

Bay Ridge Lawyers Association President Dominic Famulari (left) with Colonel John P. Lloyd, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Hamilton. Eagle photo by Mario Belluomo

President Dominic Famulari explained how grateful he was to past presidents Joann Monaco and Margaret Stanton, who not only started this annual tradition, but keep it going every year.

“This has been a very successful event for us each year and one that we’re able to reach the community with,” Famulari said. “I give all of the credit to Margaret and Joann for putting this together and doing such a great job with it.”

The BRLA also collects new, unwrapped toys at the event that it then donates to the Fort Hamilton military base, which is located within Bay Ridge. Those toys are given out to the children of the military personnel stationed at the base.