Elected officials, civic leaders, clergy attend Kassenbrock luncheon

16 Graduating High School Seniors receive college grants

March 8, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

State Sen. Marty Golden presents Mary Ann Walsh with Certificate of Appreciation. From left: Community Board District Manager Josephine Beckmann, Bay Ridge Community Council member Barbara Vellucci, Walsh and Golden. Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta

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On Sunday, the Bay Ridge Manor hosted a luncheon to raise money to support the Kassenbrock Brothers Memorial Scholarship Fund. The money goes to help high school students preparing for college. Sixteen students were recipients of the grants, many of whom are graduates of Brooklyn high schools including Fort Hamilton, Edward R. Murrow, Fontbonne Hall, Poly Prep and Xaverian.

The Kassenbrock fund honors the memory of Walter and Vincent Kassenbrock, two community leaders who founded the Bay Ridge Community Council (BRCC) in 1951. The organization is composed of prominent civic, business and religious groups in the areas of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.

The event honored BRCC member Mary Ann Walsh, who has been the fund’s administrator since 1995. Walsh is stepping down and turning administrative duties over to BRCC member Barbara Vellucci.

State Sen. Marty Golden presented Walsh with a Certificate of Appreciation. He said Walsh “has always been out in front, always committed and always volunteering.”

He called her “an outstanding mother, an outstanding Catholic and an outstanding individual when it comes to working with [the Kassenbrock] organization and the Kassenbrock family.

“She’s always been dedicated to our community and that’s what makes this community as great as it is — people like Mary Ann Walsh. If we had another handful, another six or seven Mary Ann Walshes, we could get so much more done in this great community,” he said. “She has really set a high bar for all of us and I thank her for her dedication. She has inspired me, she’s inspired many people here in this room and many of my colleagues in government.”

Golden recognized Walsh’s successor Vellucci, saying that although she has big shoes to fill, nobody is more qualified for the job. He went on to say that he would be looking into new proposals for additional funding for education, with more money coming into our community schools, including more classroom space. He also promised to work closely with the Guild for Exceptional Children to raise more money for the developmentally disabled.

Councilmember Vincent Gentile, himself a former recipient of the Kassenbrock scholarship, presented Walsh with a City Council Citation in recognition of her tireless work and decades of service to her community.

Also attending the luncheon were Assemblymember Pamela Harris, Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann, City Council candidates Rev. Khader El-Yateem, Liam McCabe and John Quaglione. Ninety-five-year-old BRCC member and retired Catholic school teacher Jane Kelly was also in attendance.