… and, eats lots of ice cream!
At the end of the ice cream social, Dave Neff had some ice cream sandwiches and cups left over. But he wasn’t disappointed. The crowd had been steady.
Every parking spot was taken at Donahue Memorial Park in Cornwall-on-Hudson, and there were cars lined up on the west side of Shore Road.
The sun smiled on the Aug. 15 event. Mr. Neff organized it to show support for the police. And he heard many positive comments from folks who entered the gazebo for free ice cream. “I think more people are getting fed up, like me, with all the negativity,” he said the day after the event.
Among the popular giveaways were blue-line flags.
They are traditional American flags with a blue line replacing one of the white stripes. The flags symbolize support for both the nation and its law enforcement officers.
For a few local officers, the event meant extra work, directing traffic into the park. Two policemen came with their police dogs. When a middle school student asked if she could pet the dog, its owner had a better idea. “Why don’t you have your picture taken with him?” he suggested.
The dog was a pro. He kneeled next to the eighth-grader and looked right at the camera.
The event attracted several elected officials, who overlooked party differences for the afternoon. For example, Democrat Richard Randazzo complimented Republican Steve Neuhaus on his daily phone calls during the pandemic.
“They were really helpful,” Supervisor Randazzo said.
The officials lined up for a group picture that was retaken several times, because more people kept showing up. By the end, there were a dozen celebrities with the organizer stationed in the middle.
The ice cream social was not a fund-raiser, but guests could leave a contribution for the PBA. On the following afternoon, Mr. Neff was waiting to find out how much money had been collected. He joked about being tempted to eat all the ice cream. And he shared a positive thought. “I’m already thinking about other types of events we can do,” he said.
