This year’s Mill Neck Manor Fall Harvest Festival was an event to remember. Despite the rainy weather conditions, thousands of visitors and loyal supporters made their way to the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf campus on Columbus Day weekend to attend the festival, which benefits adults and children who are Deaf, hard of hearing and/or have other special needs.
The festival boasted many exciting happenings, including the debut of the exclusive SnapDragon® apple. Thanks to our partnership with Crunch Time Apple Growers—a company dedicated to introducing exclusive, high flavor and innovative apple varieties to the marketplace—Mill Neck was given the opportunity to kick off their marketing season by selling SnapDragon® just prior to their official launch date.
Visitors lined up for favorites, like grilled bratwurst, baked goods, candy apples, strudel aand roasted corn, among them. Take-home items included specialty cheeses, pumpkins, apple cider and seasonal vegetables. The festival hosted many returning craft vendors, information about the latest in Deaf technology and a sign language area. New additions to the children’s area featured a free petting zoo and a free photo booth, which provided entertainment for the entire family. Rounding out the weekend was the announcement of the winner of this year’s 50/50 drawing. Congratulations to Marianne Oettinger, a former Mill Neck employee and longtime supporter.
Much effort goes into producing the festival each year; with that, the Mill Neck Family expresses sincere gratitude to all who make it possible, time after time. This event would simply not happen without our loyal volunteers, students, staff, Mill Neck Manor alumni, vendors, donors, friends, parents and our generous supporters. Our 2016 supporters include: Toshiba Business Solutions (Golden Sponsor); A & Z Phamaceuticals, BMW of Oyster Bay (Gala Sponsors); R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP (McIntosh Sponsor); Ridgewood Savings Bank, Tri-County Plumbing & Heating Installations, Inc. (Greenings Sponsors); CrunchTime Apple Growers, Russ Kane, Long Island Farmers, Long Island Geese Control, North Shore Golf Cars, Mill Neck Manor Alumni Association, David P. Pearson, Old Brookville Police Department, Ridgewood Savings Bank, Shoprite of Plainview,Kimberly Sheppard of Apple Bank Locust Valley, Village of Mill Neck, Jaco Transportation Inc., Rich Koenig, Rosa Adams, Author/Illustrator Kathleen Bart, BMW of Oyster Bay, Buckabee Honey, By Mara, Classicrafts, Classy Crafters, The Craft Closet, Kaylin Dantes, East End Light, Louise Eberle, Daphney Fenelon, Great South Bay Candles, Hand-i-Crafts, Jackie Maloney Studio, L. A. Ecuadorian Crafts, La Guardia Community College Program for Deaf Adults, Leon Carnival & Fairs, Long Island Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, Inc., Mill Neck Services Center for Hearing Health, Mill Neck Services Day Habilitation Program, Barbara Murray, Barbara Obstgarten, The Pickle People, Dora Ross, Sorenson Communications, Inc., Syosset High School ASL Club, Terry’s Creative Crafts, Lewis and Christopher Testa, Carol Triebe and Madaline Rondeau, Diana Walsh, Sew Cute Crafts, World of Wool, MiMixx, Agostino Arts, Gooseberry Amusements, Inc., M&M kids Entertainment, Send in the Clowns Entertainment Corp., The Modern Photobooth, clowns.com.
The Mill Neck Family of Organizations, which includes Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, founded in 1947 by Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, Mill Neck Manor Early Childhood Center, Mill Neck Services, Mill Neck Services Center for Hearing Health, Mill Neck Interpreter Service and Lutheran Friends of the Deaf. For more information, please call 516-922-4100 or visit millneck.org. “Like” Mill Neck on Facebook at facebook.com/millneckmanor.