I am delighted to announce that the Neptune Marketing "Not Everyone's On Vacation Summer Charitable Fundraising Breakfast," held on August 23, 2006 at the Hilton Long Island in Melville, raised $3,000 for its honored not-for-profit organizations. Presented with checks in the amount of $1,000 each at the close of the program, the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls, the Long Island Crisis Center, and Soroptimist International of Nassau County each benefited from this highly successful event. Every penny of net profits went towards fulfilling the missions of these three organizations, which rely on their Long Island neighbors to literally exist from year to year.

Also at the event, a surprise presentation of the first "Harness the Power" award was made to Fran Karliner, president of Soroptimist International of Nassau County and Director of Development, Public Relations and Marketing at Hi-Hello Child Care, Inc. in Freeport. Fran was honored for her unwavering commitment to the people of Long Island, as a person who has harnessed per personal fortitude and inner power to make a difference for the rest of us.

Following the event, which drew over 80 Long Island leaders in the professional, business, not-for-profit, philanthropic and entrepreneurial communities, it was decided that this will be the first of future annual fundraising events. Neptune Marketing is resolute in the belief that businesses have an obligation to give back to the communities in which we live and work; I intend to continue this mission with the 2007 Neptune Marketing "Not Everyone's On Vacation Summer Charitable Fundraising Breakfast."