Long Island Wine & Liquor Sales Club Honors Blake Leonard and Carlos Ferrandiz
On Monday, June 1st, the Long Island Wine & Liquor Sales Club (LIWLSC) held its 80th Annual Golf & Tennis Outing at Engineers Country Club in Roslyn Harbor, benefiting the AHRC Foundation. The evening honored two leaders for their commitment and standing within the wine and spirits industry, and raised over $120,000 for the AHRC Foundation.
Blake Leonard, Certified Sommelier and President of Stew Leonard’s Wines & Spirits, was named Woman of the Year. A third-generation member of the family-owned business, Blake has led its wine and spirits strategy since 2016 and was named to Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 in 2023.
Carlos Ferrandiz, Executive Vice President/General Manager for New York State at Coastal-Pacific Wine & Spirits, received the Martin Silver Humanitarian Award, recognizing his more than 35 years of leadership in the industry.
Generations of Partnership
LIWLSC leadership thanked the industry for its decades-long commitment to enhancing the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism living on Long Island. “Tonight’s honorees bring the best of our industry to this work,” LIWLSC leadership said. “They’ve lent their expertise and their care to AHRC, and we thank them for standing with us in work that lasts well beyond the quarterly numbers and reports — they are icons in our industry. This day is months in the making, and we welcome anyone in the industry who would like to join the club and support this work.”
“The Long Island Wine & Liquor Sales Club has been family for 80 years,” said Mary McNamara, AHRC Foundation Director. “Across retail, manufacturing, and distribution, this industry continues to support the evolving needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities, and we are endlessly grateful for that commitment.”
For nearly 30 years, the LIWLSC has partnered with the AHRC Foundation as the recipient of funds supporting innovative and direct supports for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As the beneficiary of this year’s outing, the AHRC Foundation will put the Club’s generosity — including this year’s total of over $120,000 — toward opportunities for the people we serve, funding new construction, renovations, innovative equipment, and pilot programs at Brookville Center for Children’s Services, Camp Loyaltown, and Wheatley Farms & Arts Center that would not otherwise be possible.
Thank you, Blake and Carlos, and thank you to the entire LIWLSC, for standing with us.