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Atlanta Falcons owner, who is taking team to superbowl, grew up in Sunnyside

Feb. 2, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan

The owner of the Atlanta Falcons who is taking his team to the 51st Superbowl on Sunday has deep ties to Sunnyside.

Arthur Blank, who also co-founded Home Depot, grew up in Sunnyside, before moving to Flushing when he was 12 years old. He often cites his modest beginnings, in which his family would scrape together pennies and nickels to donate to their local synagogue, as a foundation for his success in life, reported a recent Forward article.

Blank grew up in a small one-bedroom home in Sunnyside pinching pennies, before going on to found the multi-billion dollar Home Depot Company in 1978. He is now worth about $3 billion.

Upon retiring as president of Home Depot after 18 years in 2001, Blank bought the Falcons in 2002.

Now that the Falcons have made it to the Super Bowl for the first time under Blank’s ownership, and will face off against the New England Patriots in Houston on Sunday, Blank is paying for the more than 400 employees to attend the game.

“I don’t want our associates ever to feel it’s just a job —but that they feel deeply about people they’re serving. And care deeply. They’re giving back,” Blank told the Forward.

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33 Comments

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Mike

Hahah , fu sunnyside boy, GO PATS!!!! SUPER BOWL CHAMPS ONCE AGAIN!!
TOM BRADY GREATEST QUARTERBACK EVER

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Sgm30309

Why so negative? A Sunnyside guy made it big and gives back to people through his foundation and taking all the folks who helped make it happen to the Super Bowl. Get politics out of it! Rise Up Falcons and for someone who is proud of his roots and celebrates where he is with others.

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New Falcon Fan

Where’s the bandwagon? I’m rooting for Atlanta. This article is reason enough. Who’s with me?

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LL

Why all of a sudden everyone is a narcissist?? People get the bug out and relax a bit. Enjoy life as much as possible :)-

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Ken

He left Sunnyside when he was 12 years old. He doesn’t owe you a dime. Stop your whining and go ask deBlasio for your free handouts

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Make it any where

O look, a kid from Sunnyside who made it to the top. Grew up in a one bedroom, went to a school that did not hold out much expectations, probably took his fair amount of lumps on the street being a Jewish kid and is now established and giving back to people around him. No complaining, No blaming the schools, no blaming society, no blaming the police and on and on….and before you liberals start attacking my comment, ask yourself first “what have I done for society not what has society to offer me”

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Suzy

@self righteous make anywhere Sunnydide had 3 active synagogues at one time. Inform yourself before you post a smug remark. You’re an obnoxious Fox News Watching chest pounding blowhard of a narcissist and a bore.

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The Summer wind

We sound a little angry there Suzy. in fact your anger is so apparent you can’t even type correctly. Have you no march to go to this weekend where you can roar and scream and kick over garbage cans?

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Sunnyside

Suzy doesn’t sound angry at all and is spot on about you and just keeping it real. You are an imbecile and the rest of the descriptive terms used in her post fits you as well. Suzy has a typo you’re still chest pounding fox watching blowhard. Don’t you have a TV to sit in front and scream obscenities at? You’re an idiot.

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An early frost

You must be Suzy’s partner- so while she is kicking over the garbage cans in anger you are pounding on the banks glass door trying to smash it with a 2×4

Liberal with Fangs

You mean like the conservative right has been doing since reagan? Now they call dems obstructionists, but conveniently forgot they’ve been obstructionists for 8 years. Liars and hypocrites are most all conservatives.

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paperchase

@make it any where- Wow. Just had to find a way to squeeze in some negativity. Seek help dude.

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jerry

“probably took his fair amount of lumps on the street being a Jewish kid.”

What a moronic post.

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