John Aruanno, owner/operator of Arrow Produce. (Photo: Arrow Produce)
Good News

Island Harvest to honor local produce wholesaler at food bank’s upcoming fundraiser

Taking a sharp decline in business caused by COVID and turning it into a giving opportunity, John Aruanno found a way to provide for struggling neighbors in his community through his company, Arrow Produce.

Aruanno began the company in 1986, when he and his brother, Peter, would fill their family station wagon with fresh produce from the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx and sell it to neighborhood delis and pizzerias. Their business would grow to become a leading wholesale produce supplier, serving restaurants on Long Island and New York City.

During the pandemic, when restaurant orders ceased, Arrow Produce partnered with Island Harvest to create and deliver individual boxes of produce that were distributed across Long Island, stepping up to help members of their community when they needed it most. Since then,  Arrow has remained a steadfast supporter and an ongoing supplier of Island Harvest.

For his outstanding generosity, Aruanno will be receiving the 2024 Linda Breitstone Spirit award (named for Island Harvest’s founder) this year at the 30th annual Taste of the Harvest Celebration fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m., at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

The Taste of the Harvest Celebration, Island Harvest’s largest fundraising event of the year, is a gourmet-tasting event set in a casual cocktail party-style format. It features an array of scrumptious food and desserts prepared by some of Long Island’s top restaurants, caterers, country clubs and other fine eateries, including AG Steakhouse, Fogo De Chão, Iavarone Italian Kitchen, Opus by Anthony Scotto, Pintail Coffee, Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas, Umberto’s of New Hyde Park, Vincent’s Clam Bar, Zorn’s of Bethpage, and many more.

Pei-Sze Cheng, a member of NBC 4 New York’s investigative unit, the I-Team, will be emceeing the event. The celebration also features an exciting raffle and a silent auction with prizes that include New York sports tickets and memorabilia, weekend getaways, and restaurant gift certificates.

This year’s fundraiser will also honor Bank of America with Island Harvest’s 2024 Above & Beyond award, in recognition of their decades of volunteering, food donations, and over $1.2 million in financial support, including an investment of over $500,000 to help Island Harvest launch its groundbreaking Workforce Skills Development Institute. Bank of America is the anniversary celebration sponsor for the 2024 Taste of the Harvest Celebration.

In addition to the above award recipients, Island Harvest will pay tribute to Linda Breitstone, who founded the organization in 1992. Breitstone passed away on July 16  at her home in Hawaii at the age of 73 after a brief battle with cancer.

Tickets for the Taste of the Harvest celebration are $350 per person, and the purchase helps Island Harvest continue its hunger-relief efforts throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

For more information about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Franca Gerrard, Special Events, Marketing & Communications Manager, at 631-873-4775, extension 228 or [email protected], or visit www.islandharvest.org.