Piermont, Boccie Ball and Charity

In life, Long Island accountant Gary Larsen enjoyed bringing people together, and liked to throw parties.

“As you can see, he’s still bringing people together,” said Orangeburg’s Gary Blankfort, spreading his arms in the direction of large groups of friends and family members playing boccie ball on the sun-drenched fields adjacent to Goswick Pavilion in Piermont on Saturday afternoon.

Others were grouped in the shade of the pavilion, enjoying professionally prepared foods and listening to sounds provided by record-company CEO Adam Blankfort of Grand View, serving as DJ at the 10th anniversary Gary Larsen Tribute.

The event was orchestrated by Larsen’s childhood friends Tom and Loreen Mc Ardle of Piermont, as it has been since its inception in the fall of 2002 following Larsen’s death that spring.

The tribute each year raises funds for charitable causes, including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Happiness Is Camping For Kids With Cancer, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

“We had the first one (tribute) in October of 2002 at my brother’s backyard in Long Island,” recalled Blankfort the Elder. “It was a grass-roots effort. We raised $375 through raffles and donations. Fast forward 10 years, and after today we hope to be at $120,000. I go every year, give a donation, lend a hand.”

Loreen Mc Ardle noted that Goswick Pavilion has hosted the benefit every year other than the inaugural. “The Pavilion is great because of its location, the field, the working kitchen,” she said. “The town has been terrific with us.”

Gary’s parents Ralph and Marian Larsen–generally referred to as “Mr. and Mrs. L”—were again on hand, traveling from their home in Kings Park, L.I.

“This is truly wonderful, unbelievable,” said Mrs. L. “I thought after one or two years they would get tired of it, but every year it gets better.”

Mr. L was equally amazed by the permanence of the benefits, and perhaps equally amused by the stories he hears each year about his deceased son. “You know, it seems that every year we find out something else he did that we never knew about,” Mr. L said, wearing a broad smile.

Beth Johnson, Gary’s widow, and the Mc Ardles said the first idea was to hold a golf tournament to raise funds, but the expense proved prohibitive.

“So,” said Johnson, “we picked boccie ball. And it’s better anyway because kids and old folk can play.”

Notes, meters, and chords

• Adam Blankfort, of Rely Records, put up for raffles some 30 fashionable, wearable music listening devices, Playbutton. Gary Larsen’s favorite tunes were recorded on each one
• Many attendees wore T-shirts emblazoned with a Norwegian expression, Velkommen til Oss, in honor of Larsen, a Norwegian. The words translate to Welcome to Us or, as someone suggested, offering a looser translation: Welcome to Our House
• Plans already are under way for next year’s 11th anniversary boccie ball benefit, once again planned at Goswick Pavilion sometime in July after the holiday