LI CEO to be honored Oct. 22

Real Estate Weekly, Oct 16, 2002

Long-time Manhasset resident Joseph A. "Dee" Dussich, Jr., chief executive officer & president of JAD Building Maintenance Supplies will be presented the Island Harvest Above and Beyond Award.

The event, the Island Harvest Taste of the Harvest Celebration, will be held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, LI on Oct. 22. Each year, Island Harvest selects a candidate who has made a difference in the community. Dussich is one such individual. Shortly following the attacks at the World Trade Center, Dussich lead an effort to raise and distribute $6 million to provide financial housing assistance to those families impacted by the disaster, either by the loss of a family member or the loss of employment.

As a dedicated and community-minded leader, Dussich has been honored by countless organizations over the past twelve years, including the Queens Boy Scouts, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Boomer Esiason Foundation and in 1999, he was awarded the prestigious degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from St. John's University. Dussich is a proud businessman who insists on supporting his customers and colleagues. He offers professional seminars to educate building owners and managers, and he has introduced new products to the industry that are innovative and environmentally friendly. Additionally, Dussich continues to support many charitable causes.

Island Harvest is also proud to present the Wind Beneath Our Wings Award to Barry Chandler and the Linda Breitstone Spirit Award to Minuteman Press of Rockville Centre for their belief and dedication to our mission. For ticket, sponsorship and journal information, please call Rosemary Asselta, at (516) 294-8528 ext. 13.

Island Harvest, founded in 1992, rescues surplus nutritious foods from over 500 commercial food donors and collects canned and packaged goods from food drives in order to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. This effort allows our 400 non-profit member agencies to feed a larger number of people with this donated food and to reallocate money to other essential services.

This important work also supports the environment by ensuring the elimination of the wasteful disposal of food in landfills. Island Harvest rescued approximately 3 million pounds of food in 2001 with a value of more than $7 million.