Tony Lana
Jan. 26, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan
The Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce will bestow its annual “Sunnysider of the Year” award on local legend Anthony Lana.
Lana will be honored next Tuesday with a celebratory dinner and award ceremony naming him the “Luke Adams Sunnysider of the Year,” named after the first recipient of the award in 2011.
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Tangra, located at 39-23 Queens Boulevard, and tickets are on sale to the public.
Each year the Chamber picks a community member who has gone above and beyond in community service, and this year selected Lana, who has served the community in many roles for the past 40 years.
Lana has served as president of the Chamber, president of the 108 NYPD Community Council, on the Children’s Committee of Community Board 2, and was recently re-elected as president of Kiwanis Club of Sunnyside, and now is its longest serving member.
He is best known, however, for founding the Sunnyside Drum Corps, which is now in its 40th year.
Lana moved to the neighborhood in 1966 when he was in the sixth grade, and remained until a few years ago, when he moved to Garden City, though he still returns regularly for his many volunteer roles in Sunnyside.
“His community service is a sacrifice for us. Doing what he has year after year for half a century is how a neighborhood remains like a big family,” said Manny Gomez, president of both Sunnyside Artists and the Chamber non-profit groups.
The celebration will include performances by local musicians including the Drum Corps.
Tickets for the event are $50, or $55 at the door. Ticket can be bought by clicking here.
The late Luke Adams (middle)
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19 Comments
Congratulations Anthony and keep up the good work! Can’t believe the Drum Corps has been around for 40 years. My sister, cousin and I belonged and were all flag carriers in the parades- fun times!
El loco is one of the funniest if not the funniest writer on this blog. You people should thank him for bringing a little glee to your miserable, dull lives!
I do work! I work at Starbucks. Where do you work?
I want to nominate my son for going above and beyond on his phone on sunnyside post.Is there a $ prize? He doesn’t work, so can’t pay his yuge phone bills to continue his amazing amazing work
Congratulations Tony! You deserve an award! Thank you for what you and the Kiwanis Club have done for Woodside and Sunnyside. I remember when you lived on 56th Street. Many children benefited from your generosity with your time and hard work in Woodside and Sunnyside schools. My Special Education Classroom was given computers in the early 80s thanks to your fundraisers. Many children who attended my program, attended summer camp, fully equipped, for free! Whenever you or any other Kiwanis member was approached with a child’s need, no matter what the need, the need was fulfilled. Thank you! You deserve more!!!
why would anyone want to go to an event like that? To sit next to Pat Dorfman or Dorothy Morehead? Only a loser would go! Besides Luke Adams wins the award every year anyway!
Doesn’t Luke Adams usually win this award every year?
Instead of paying $55, you can go in for free as a regular customer and just escort yourself downstairs to where the event will be. You can thank me later.
P.S. Food isn’t that great nor fresh, but their “lollipop chicken” isn’t too bad.
40 yrs, he should get a lifetime achievement award. Damn who would want to stay here 40yrs
Who remembers Tony’s Super Scoop Ice Cream Parlor?
You forgot to mention how it was also shut down due to Drug Trafficking. The area was crack infested in the 80’s. Once a crook always a crook.
Fake news. He never owned an ice cream shop. He used to sell ice cream at the old SUNNYSIDE Garden and he was good also.
El Loco, Tony owned the Dairy Queen located on Greenpoint Ave between Woolworth’s and Genovese Drugs.I don’t recall the drug trafficking though.
No he didn’t. You are mixing him up with someone else. There has never been a DQ in SUNNYSIDE. Tony worked for the USPS all his life. I’m really outraged by all of this. He doesn’t deserve the award! What’s wrong with you people? I just found out that Luke Adams passed away so he is ineligible also. I think the award should not be given this year. Actually, I don’t think the award should ever be given.
Tony is one of the best.
Who is in the group that he is one of the best? Who were the other nominees for Sunnysider of the year. I’m sure that Tony was the only one. The vote was a complete fraud. Manny Gomez and his group should be ashamed of themselves for the fraudulent vote. There are plenty of other much more qualified people for the award especially people who live here and didn’t run away! Shame, shame!
I would rather sit on my toilet and read one flew over the “Cuckoos Nest.”
Fake name
That’s your normal routine anyway.