They’ve been there before.
After Hurricane Harvey slammed Houston with historic rainfall, the Alliance for Coney Island — a neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Sandy five years ago — quickly launched “Coney Cares,” a local fund-raising effort to help victims of the Texas storm. The initiative, organized with local sports teams and businesses, was inspired by the national outpouring of support that Coney Island and the rest of the city received after Sandy, according to the alliance’s executive director.
“Being a community that was hard hit by Sandy, I think we just deeply sympathize, and wanted to reach out to the Houston community,” said Alexandra Silversmith. “I think these businesses really empathize with the issues that the affected communities are facing, and will face in the next few months and years.”
Baseball fans can contribute by taking in a game on Sept. 7 between the Cyclones and the evil Staten Island Yankees at MCU Park. Anyone who purchases a ticket using the code “RELIEF” will contribute the full price of their purchase to Minor League Baseball Charities’ relief efforts.
Soccer fans can help by going to four different New York Cosmos games throughout September at MCU Park. The Cosmos will donate 50 percent of all endline seat sales purchased with the code “HOUSTON” for the matches on Sept. 13, 17, 20, and 23 to the Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. And the team will also contribute 100 percent of profits from raffle-ticket sales at those games to the same fund.
But Saturday will be the big day for Coney Cares.
Several restaurants and other local businesses will donate proceeds from their sales on Sept. 9 to the fund. Both Nathan’s Famous Coney Island locations will donate $1 of every sale to it, as will Coney Island Brewery.
Luna Park will donate 10 percent of its Saturday ticket sales, and the Applebee’s on Surf Avenue will also donate 10 percent of the evening’s profits.
Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, Gargiulo’s Italian Restaurant, and Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana have all committed a portion of the day’s profits to the fund, too. And Paul’s Daughter will donate $1,000 to it as well.
