The Salvation Army Celebrates 59th Annual Luncheon
On Dec. 6, 2006, The Salvation Army in Greater New York welcomed over 1,500 guests to the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New York for what has become an authentic New York holiday tradition --- the Greater New York Division’s Annual Christmas Luncheon.  
This year’s annual luncheon --- the 59th --- raised over $545,000, made possible by the enormous support of sole underwriter The Bank of New York; platinum corporate sponsor PepsiCo; and numerous other generous contributors.
Principal honoree for this year’s luncheon was Steven S Reinemund, Chairman of the Board of PepsiCo, who received The Pinnacle of Achievement Award in recognition of his many accomplishments in the worlds of business and community service. Other honorees included the Mitchell family and James S. Mitchell & Sons, recipients of The Community Service Award, for their friendship, support and outstanding work over the years constructing and renovating Army facilities throughout the area; and The Bank of New York, recipient of The Corporate Partnership Award, for its enormous generosity as the luncheon’s sole underwriter.
Popular Fox 5 News Anchor Ernie Anastos served as Master of Ceremonies, delighting the audience with his wit and folksy delivery. Actor Edward Herrmann, the 2006 Greater New York Christmas Campaign Chair and long-time Army supporter, drew similar applause for his engaging remarks on giving this holiday season that were both humorous and inspiring.
Other program highlights included a captivating Christmas message by Salvation Army USA National Commander Commissioner Israel L. Gaither (whose recent biography, Israel L. Gaither, Man with a Mission, by Colonel Henry Gariepy, was distributed to all the tables); several beautiful carols performed by the Army’s renowned New York Staff Band; and the debut of a powerful new video presentation by MediaLand Productions, entitled Moving Forward – Doing Good. The Fire Department of New York Pipes and Drums opened the luncheon with distinctive flair, followed by a moving invocation pronounced by the Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister of The Riverside Church, New York City.
The program concluded with one final “wow!” from the audience as Luncheon and Greater New York Advisory Board Chair John O. Hatab alerted guests to be on the watch for details concerning the Army’s March 23, 2007, Spring Gala, taking place in the same ballroom and honoring none other than former President Bill Clinton!