Farmingdale State College has received $25,000 from the Ferro Foundation to endow the Clark Gillies Scholarship.
The scholarship will support Farmingdale State students while recognizing the contributions Gillies made as a New York Islander and to the region, both on and off the ice.
Known as “The Power Forward,” Gillies was a Hockey Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion with the New York Islanders. He died in 2022 at age 67. He is remembered by many as a friend to everyone, a tower of strength on the ice, and a pillar of the Long Island community.
“We are enormously grateful to receive this wonderful, student-focused gift,” said John Nader, president of the college. “It is a genuine reflection of the selfless spirit shared by two exceptional Long Islanders: Sal Ferro, an exemplary alum and remarkable citizen, and Clark Gillies, a charismatic force of greatness in the NHL, in our community and among his family and friends.”
The foundation was founded by Sal Ferro, the Huntington councilman. Ferro is a Farmingdale alum and formerly Alure Home Improvements’ president and CEO. The foundation is a non-profit corporation established in 2017 to help Long Islanders in need, with a focus on students, seniors, and veterans. Its mission is to make a lasting and positive difference in the lives of deserving Long Islanders in need, while inspiring others to do the same.
Gillies was committed to the region both during his playing career and after. He began The Clark Gillies Foundation, a non-profit organization developed to help children who are physically, developmentally, or financially challenged. Its goal is to improve their quality of life; and 100 percent of its proceeds go directly to people in need.
“Over the years, Clark has helped so many. He has been a role model and inspiration for me. He taught me so much about the giving spirit and social responsibility,” Ferro, who is also a member of the Farmingdale College Foundation Board of Directors, said in a statement. “It means so much to me to set up a scholarship in Clark’s name for Farmingdale State College.”
Looking ahead, the Ferro Foundation plans to grow the Clark Gillies Scholarship into a $50,000 endowment in the coming years. This is the second endowed scholarship and third gift funded by the Ferro Foundation with the Farmingdale College Foundation. In May 2021, the Ferro Foundation made a $50,000 contribution to create The Ferro Family Scholarship supporting Farmingdale Business students. In 2019, Ferro established a fund to help FSC students purchase textbooks.
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Adina Genn
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