Chamber Hosts Stars and Stripes Gala at Blue

On July 16, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce hosted its 2026 Gala - the Stars and Stripes Soiree - at Blue, honoring America's 250th anniversary.

More than 130 business and nonprofit professionals joined us for the sold-out event and were treated to a cocktail hour, seated dinner, and open bar. The Satin Dollz kept the energy high with live entertainment throughout the evening. The Chamber was also proud to welcome Councilmember David Carr and Assemblyman Michael Reilly to the celebration.

A huge thank you to our sponsors, whose generosity made the evening possible:

Star Spangled Sponsors John Calabrese Financial, College of Staten Island, Con Edison

Red Glare Sponsors Angiuli Gentile LLP, PMI, National Grid

Broad Stripes Sponsors Amazon, Empire State Bank, DoorDash, Northfield Bank

Bright Stars Sponsors Valley Bank

We'd also like to thank the dedicated Gala Committee who helped bring this event to life: Committee Head Michele Esposito (Staten Island Chamber of Commerce), Co-Chairs Laurie Guinta (Northfield Bank) and Frank Wilkinson (Rab's Country Lanes), along with committee members Maria Carrozza (Cake Chef Companies), Dorreen Cugno (St. George Theatre), Renee DeMatteo (Partners in Sound Productions), Stephanie Debes (Makeup on Wheels Foundation), Pamela DeRose (John Calabrese Financial), Lauren Grimaldi (Eden II School for Autistic Children), Vincent Innocente (Northfield Bank), Dr. Janet Leslie (Gift of Experience, LLC), Jeanne Sarno (Empire State Bank), Dina Shehadeh (Staten Island Chamber of Commerce), and Valerie Williams (Williams Eye Works).

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this milestone in American history - we look forward to seeing you at the next Chamber event!

All photos by Steve White, Staten Arts Photography.