Celebrating diversity with CSEA

COMMACK — CSEA’s Long Island Region Human Rights Committee recently held its annual International Day Festival. The committee throws the event as a way for our members to celebrate our region’s diversity.

The fun-filled afternoon of barbecue, a live band and henna tattoos brought members from across Long Island to our region office to enjoy the festivities.

The event is also where the recipients of the Long Island Region “Send a Kid to Camp” scholarships are drawn.

The Human Rights Committee’s next event will be the Festival of Lights, where members celebrate the different religious observances during the holiday season.

— Wendi Bowie

: Town of Oyster Bay Local 4th Vice President Thomas Robinson plays Jenga with John Flores, the grandson of one of the attendees.

: CSEA Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley finally gets her turn at receiving a henna tattoo. From left, Berkley, Samia Raja and Meena Shahid.

: Nassau County Municipal Employees Local 1st Vice President Edwin “Ebo” McDowell was on grill duty for the event.

: The Hempstead High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps presents the American flag for the Pledge of Allegiance.

: Vanessa Austria-Cange shows off her henna leg tattoo.

: Nassau County Municipal Employees Local President John Shepherd was one of the many guests at the festival.

: SUNY Stony Brook Local Treasurer Dawn Herritt arrives at the region office for International Day.

: Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte, left, and Suffolk Educational Local 870 President Maria Navarro, right, help John Flores read the name of one of the camp scholarship winners.