John Theissen Children’s Foundation

Welcome to the first column of my series called LIGHT FOR CHARITY™ (Long Island Giving Help Together For Charity™). Through each of my columns, I will shine a light on a particular Long Island-based charity. All of the charities I select for my columns will be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. I have no affiliation with any of the charities and I am not responsible for any of their operations.

For today, I am shining our LIGHT on the John Theissen Children’s Foundation (“JTCF”). JTCF is headquartered in Wantagh, and has been helping sick and underprivileged children across Long Island since 1992. JTCF’s mission is to (1) provide Long Island hospitals and child-care facilities with therapeutic and recreational equipment; (2) support local families with financial assistance to help with their childrens’ medical expenses; (3) offer sick and needy children toys throughout the holiday season; (4) fulfill sick children’s

LIGHT for Charity

wishlists throughout the year; and (5) assist sick and underprivileged children in other ways as well.

JTCF is in the process of building a new “Family Fun Center” in Wantagh, that will provide endless hours of fun for sick and underprivileged children and their siblings at no cost to their families. The center will be open year-round and seven days a week. The Family Fun Center will have an arcade room, an arts and crafts room, a movie room with theater chairs, and ice cream and popcorn stations. It will also have a Wish Room stocked with new gifts year-round.

John Theissen is the charity’s Founder and Executive Director. He started JTCF after having a brain tumor when he was 17 years old and was hospitalized in a children’s hospital. After John’s hospital stay, he wanted to create a foundation to help

Karl V. Anton, Jr., Publisher, Anton Community Newspapers, 1984-2000

Publishers of

Glen Cove/Oyster Bay Record Pilot

Great Neck Record

Manhasset Press

Nassau Illustrated News

Port Washington News

Syosset-Jericho Tribune

The Nassau Observer

The Roslyn News

Editor and Publisher

Angela Susan Anton President

Frank A. Virga

Vice President of Operations/CFO

Iris Picone

Director of Sales

Administration

Shari Egnasko

Editors

Janet Burns, Jennifer Corr, Lauren Feldman, Christy Hinko, Amanda Olsen, Julie Prisco, Joe Scotchie

Advertising Sales

Ally Deane, Mary Mallon, Sal Massa, Maria Pruyn, Jeryl Sletteland

Director of Circulation

Joy DiDonato

Director of Production

Robin Carter

Creative Director

Alex Nuñez

Art Director

Catherine Bongiorno

Senior Page Designer

Donna Duffy

Page Designer

Christina Dieguez

Director of Business

Administration

Linda Baccoli

For circulation inquiries, email: subscribe@antonmediagroup.com

Publication Office: 132 East Second St., Mineola, NY 11501

Phone: (516) 747-8282

Fax: (516) 742-5867

© 2023 Long Island Community Newspapers, Inc.

Celebrating 39 YEARS IN BUSINESS

1984-2023 sick and underprivileged children in any way possible. JTCF has been voted Best Charity on Long Island for ten years in a row through the Long Island Press and Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s Best of Long Island Contest.

For more information on how you can help JTCF, please visit www.JTCF.org.

Letters to the editor are welcomed by Anton Media Group. We reserve the right to edit in the interest of space and clarity. All letters must include an address and daytime telephone number for verification. All material contributed to Anton Media Group in any form becomes the property of the newspapers to use, modify and distribute as the newspaper staff assigns or sees fit. Letters to the editor can be mailed to: editors@antonmediagroup.com

Additional copies of this and other issues are available for purchase by calling 516-403-5120.