Brooklyn's Progress
February/March 2008

Chamber Member Receives Adoptive Parents Committee Award
The Adoptive Parents Committee (APC) bestows their most prestigious award, the Sarah Glickman Humanitarian Award, annually to an outstanding volunteer. Most recently it was Avery Marder, CEO of Trademark Graphics and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Member. He has worked tirelessly for over 15 years within APC, from organizing meetings and events to traveling to Albany to educate and present APC's positions to legislators. He also edits Adoptalk, the APC’s newsletter. He also has served as chapter president and now as a board member. The award is named after APC’s pioneering volunteer who left a 40-year legacy when she passed away in 2000. The award is now given to another outstanding volunteer in her name.

Curves of Bensonhurst Gears Up for Relay For Life
Chamber Member Curves of Bensonhurst, part of the chain of the world’s largest franchisor of fitness clubs, announced that it will support the American Cancer Society by participating in one of its signature fundraising events, Relay For Life. This is the second year that Curves of Bensonhurst has fielded a team for the event, and last year, the club raised $4,338.52 with a team of 15 walkers. This year, Curves of Bensonhurst has set a goal to raise $10,000.00. The event will take place at the Ft. Hamilton Athletic Field, 85th St between Shore Road and Narrows Ave. in Bay Ridge, on June 21 at 2 p.m. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Curves of Bensonhurst at 718-232-6306. 

Brooklyn College Opens Conference Center
On Dec. 4, 2007, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz joined Brooklyn College President Christopher M. Kimmich at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Brooklyn College Conference Center. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the new facility will offer students, faculty and Brooklynites flexible and affordable space that can accommodate business meetings, assemblies, conventions and other events.Majority funding for the project was made possible through an appropriation from Borough President Markowitz, who is an alumnus of Brooklyn College.

"Brooklyn College prides itself on providing its students and faculty with the tools and resources to become successful individuals," said President Kimmich. "We are proud to be able to extend those resources to the Brooklyn community by offering this newly designed, state-of-the-art facility where they can hold their meetings and events."

New York City College of Technology Bookstore/ Café Opens
New York City College of Technology/CUNY is proud to announce the opening of their new bookstore and café. Managed by Follett Higher Education Group, the City Tech facility, located on the college's campus, is easily accessible on the ground floor of 259 Adams Street, with another entrance at 55 Tech Place.
In addition to serving the College's 13,500 students and nearby Polytechnic University's 3,000 students, the bookstore/café is open to the general public. The 4,500-square-foot retail facility will offer much more than textbooks: customers can browse the fiction and non-fiction books, magazines and other items, including academic pricing on computers and software, a complete collection of City Tech and Polytech clothing and gift items, and a faculty author section.

Mulchfest in Brooklyn
On Jan. 12, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz helped mulch Brooklyn Borough Hall’s 38-foot-tall Balsam Fir at the 6th annual Christmas Tree Recycling and Wood Chip Mulch Giveaway sponsored by Chamber Members Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Green-Wood Cemetery.
Borough President Markowitz was joined by area children and the green and blue recycling bin characters. Free woodchips were made available for those who brought their trees to be mulched, and participants also had the opportunity to speak with master composters from Brooklyn.