They got a dinner service for their community service.
The Dyker Heights Civic Association gave kudos to two local altruists during the group’s annual dinner at 13th-Avenue catering hall Sirico’s on Oct. 29. Keeping Bay Ridge great for generations to come compelled the pair, one honoree said.
“It’s important that we have control over what transpires in our community so that our children grow up in a safe and friendly environment,” said Ralph Succar.
Succar and fellow honoree Nick Nikolopoulos have served Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst for a combined 40 years, organizers said. Succar is vice-president of the Bay Ridge Community Council and past-president of the Verrazano Rotary Club and the Salaam Club of New York — two groups he’s still involved with, he said. He owns contractor Empire State Development.
Nikolopoulos owns Fifth Avenue’s Bay Ridge Bakery, which his parents opened in 1972. He’s also a Community Board 10 member, has volunteered with the Bravo Volunteer Ambulance Service for 26 years, and served as a pilot in the Coast Guard.
The association also celebrated its 87th year during the dinner — a milestone that made the award especially meaningful, Nikolopoulos said.
“It’s special being honored by a group that’s been in existence since 1928 — one that’s based on volunteering, which I’m a big proponent of,” he said. “I believe so much giving back, so it’s special to me.”
