(SEA CLIFF, N.Y.) – Sea Cliff Village Administrator Bruce Kennedy has worn many hats in his full and colorful life – dedicated public servant and former Village Mayor; successful entrepreneur; passionate community advocate; and more.
But the one that hits closest to home is father – and it is why he has been named the honoree of the 19th annual Cooking for a Cure fundraiser for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, which is set for Wednesday, April 9 at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville.
Bruce has long been a supporter of diabetes advocacy and attended many “Cooking for a Cure” dinners to support his friend and Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, whose daughter Amanda has lived with Type 1 diabetes since childhood. He and DeRiggi-Whitton also have a mutual friend in former Glen Cove City Councilman Tony Jimenez, who has lived with diabetes for many years.
However, his commitment to the cause transformed through the experiences of his son, Alex. For about a year, Alex had been struggling with what he thought was a gastrointestinal ailment and experienced significant weight loss. At a follow-up doctor’s appointment, he was told that he may be pre-diabetic. The next day – on Feb. 8, 2023, Alex rushed to the emergency room with what turned out to be a severe episode of diabetic ketoacidosis stemming from Type 1 diabetes.
“I jumped in the car to drive to Mount Kisco, where he was going to graduate school and working full time,” Bruce Kennedy said. “I immediately called Delia, who helped me to calm down and told me exactly what was going to happen. She immediately talked me off a ledge – everything she said was accurate, right down to the diagnosis.”
During the last two years, Alex’s diabetes has been well managed as he finishes his final semester of graduate school for his Masters degree in school counseling– and the experience has thrown his father and entire family “headstrong into finding a cure.”
“My son and Amanda and all of the people who deal with this disease on a daily basis – they are the ones who should be honored,” Bruce Kennedy said. “But it’s very humbling, and anything I can do for the cause and to find a cure, I’ll do it.”
“Throughout my time as an elected official during the last two decades, Bruce Kennedy has always been there - as a mayor, a village administrator and a passionate and innovative community advocate,” Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Being the parents of children who are living with diabetes and thriving after their diagnosis is the latest way in which our lives have intersected, and I am so thrilled that he is this year’s Cooking for a Cure honoree. I am proud to stand with him and so many other local families in our shared mission, and I hope to see everyone on April 9 as we continue the fight for a cure.”
Throughout its run, Cooking for a Cure has raised more than $1 million for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, which leads the world in cure-focused research. The event committee thanks the Peter & Jeri Dejana Family Foundation and the Waller Family for their generous support of the 19th annual gala, which will continue a tradition of a delicious dinner, live music by Craig and the Good Causes, and dozens of fabulous raffle and silent auction prizes.
Tickets are $125. For additional information or to purchase tickets, raffles, and sponsorships online, visit cookingforacure.givesmart.com. Contact Mariah Moscone, Development Manager for Team DRI, at 954-964-4040, ext. 1123 or mmoscone@drif.org for additional information.
PHOTO CREDIT – Photo courtesy Bruce Kennedy