TRIBA Merit Awards to celebrate and honor the achievements of outstanding Roosevelt Island residents and businesses. This year hosted by The Sanctuary, Roosevelt Island, New York City.

New York, N.Y. — The first TRIBA Merit Awards will be given on Roosevelt Island in New York City on October 23. Sponsored by the Roosevelt Island Business Alliance (TRIBA), the event will be held at The Sanctuary.

Billed as a ‘night of celebration and recognition,’ the recognition evening will honor outstanding individuals and businesses in the Roosevelt Island community who have made a significant impact: Sonal Bhatia, Nancy Brown, and Red Apple Group/Foodtown.

The dinner organizers invite the guests to ‘dress to impress’ and promise an unforgettable evening filled with music, food, and inspiring stories. “This is an opportunity to come together and show appreciation for those who go above and beyond,” says Skip Hartman, President of TRIBA.

The TRIBA Merit Awardees are:

Sonal Bhatia: A longtime resident of Roosevelt Island, Sonal Bhatia is currently Senior Vice President, Head of Medical Affairs, Specialty Care at Pfizer.

Dr. Bhatia is passionate about finding solutions for patients on a large scale in partnership with innovative science and new technology to ensure access to new medicines for patients.

Dr. Bhatia is actively involved with non-profit organizations focused on reducing healthcare disparities, access to cardiovascular health, healthy living and being a catalyst for change in women’s health.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association (AHA) and is on the Executive Leadership Board for AHA Go Red for Women.

Nancy Brown: Nancy Brown’s work on behalf of the disabled in New York City is legendary. Disabled herself since the age of 7, now 83, she is a longtime Island resident who remains active in her motorized chair with a ventilator.

She has successfully advocated for public policies that educated and addressed the challenges faced by disabled persons.

Brown championed the FDR Hope Memorial, helping to raise funds for the Southpoint Park statue of President Franklin D. Roosevelt sitting in his wheelchair with another disabled young person.

She has been the forever Vice President of the Roosevelt Island Association for the Disabled that provides trips, other social activities, and a food pantry that serve the disabled, the poor, and the elderly.

Red Apple Group/Foodtown: John Catsimatidis, Jr., president of the Red Apple Group and Joe Parisi, president of Foodtown.

Foodtown Supermarkets, converted from a Gristedes Supermarkets store on February 7, 2020, has been a vital part of the Roosevelt Island community since 1976. Over the years, the store has undergone multiple renovations to serve the community better, continually improving its offerings and facilities.

Foodtown at Roosevelt Island provides approximately one hundred jobs, playing a key role in the local economy. Foodtown remains dedicated to providing quality groceries and essential services, supporting the island’s residents for nearly five decades.

Red Apple Group/Foodtown District Manager Kevin Jordan will accept the award on behalf of John Catsimatidis and Joe Parisi.

The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Jim Luce.

Luce will present the award to Red Apple Group/ Foodtown, while Margie Smith will present the award to Nancy Brown, and Suha Hamid will present the award to Dr. Sonal Bhatia.

The Roosevelt Island Business Alliance (TRIBA) members include Cornell Tech, Granny Annies, Manhattan Park, Rivercross, Riverwalk Court, The Hudson Companies, The Related Companies, Riverwalk Court, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, Roosevelt Landings, The Graduate Hotel, The Sanctuary, and The Octagon.

TRIBA Associate Members include Island Om Yoga, Kaja Meade (Corcoran), Main Street Theater and Dance, Mediterranean Eatery, Roosevelt Island Historical Society, and Roosevelt Islander Online.

Nancy Brown came to Roosevelt Island as a resident at Goldwater Hospital and later relocated with her husband, who was also disabled, to an apartment on the Island.

When the permanency of the Roosevelt Island Tram was debated in the late 1990’s, Brown demonstrated that it took a disabled person four hours with many risks to travel to Manhattan by bus, a process that required them to change carriers in Queens Plaza, instead of traveling a simple and safe ten minutes by the Tramway.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities may be found here.

Roosevelt Island Business Alliance Fete Nancy Brown, Sonal Bhatia (Oct. 20, 2024)

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