Grimm hosts Victorian Tea for 21st Century women
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm turned into a waiter for an afternoon, pouring tea and offering scones on a tray to a group of highly accomplished women at a luncheon he hosted in their honor on Wednesday.
“Victorian Tea, not bad, right?” the congressman said to the group as he held the tea pot and got ready to pour a cup for one of his guests in the library of the Bensonhurst Center for Rehabilitation and Health Care.
It was all part of Grimm’s celebration of Women’s History Month. Each year Grimm (R-C-Brooklyn-Staten Island) honors women in his district for the work that they do to improve the lives of others. To make the awards ceremony more memorable, the congressman hosts a Victorian Tea for the honorees, complete with finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets and a medley of chocolate treats, all on tiered cake stands. The event was organized by Clorinda Annarummo, an aide to Grimm, who makes sure that every detail is observed, even down to clotted cream, the fine china and the tea cozy.
This year marked Grimm’s Third Annual Victorian Tea. The honorees were Karina Costantino, superintendent of School District 20; Dr. Jeannine M. Ferriola, a dentist and community activist who has worked with the Kiwanis Club, the Bridge to Youth organization and Visitation Academy; Dip Yee Lam, a leader of the Asian Community United Society; Dayna Fiorillo Scarso, co-founder and CEO of Pietro’s Fight, a non-profit organization that raises funds for research into a cure for muscular dystrophy; and Theresa Scavo, chairman of Community Board 15.