(MARGATE) When Covid-19 first impacted Margate, the MBA was contacted by Yiani Galanos. Mr. Galanos felt that there were those in our community that were in need and asked if the MBA would help him reach out to them in some way. The MBA knew there were a significant number of our senior citizens who either had physical limitations or were simply too frightened to leave their homes considering this new health challenge. The MBA began coordinating a new program and reached out to the Margate City Clerk, Johanna Casey and Coordinator of the Martin Bloom Pavilion, Marianne Christian who are dialed into the needs of our senior community and private lists were generated. Both volunteered to distribute food to the seniors.
These lists, which in several cases moved out beyond Margate’s borders, grew to be several pages long. It was clear that another partner was needed, so the MBA reached out to Tim Wainwright at Dino’s Subs & Pizza for help. His response was both immediate and enthusiastic. The program ran quietly behind the scenes for several months. No one except the two business owners, the City contacts and the MBA volunteers that delivered hundreds and hundreds of free meals was aware of the program.
“We thought it would be fitting to single out a businessperson that truly embodied the same spirit of our mentor and friend, Joe Tozzi, and annually present a token of recognition to them,” said Ed Berger, President of the Margate Business Association. “It is an honor to announce that the very First Annual Joe Tozzi Business Person of the Year Award is going to be shared and presented to Yiani Galanos and Tim Wainwright for their magnificent sense of community, their generosity, and their kindness to selflessly help those that needed it. This is truly the spirit of our Margate Business Community.” The MBA will be making a donation to each recipient’s choice of charity, The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
Joseph P. Tozzi, a long time Margate business owner and resident, was very proud of his community and was an active advocate for Margate businesses. Tozzi single-handily organized the Margate Business Association making it a viable organization and served as President for many years. He was the primary founder of the Margate Fall Funfest by the Bay, worked with the City to introduce curbside dining and many other initiatives beneficial to the Margate community. He was an active volunteer including Caring, Inc., the Margate City Beautification Board and the transition team of Dante Hall in Atlantic City. He helped a number of Margate businesses get their start and was a benefactor who sponsored children through the Children’s International Program.
Upon Joe’s death on October 22, 2019, the Margate Business Association wanted to create an enduring testimonial of his many years of service to the MBA, the City of Margate, and the many quiet gestures of generosity he had made in our community. From the spirit of his memory, The Joseph P. Tozzi Award of Distinction was born.
Margate City was incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor Township. Then, it was reincorporated with the name Margate City April 20, 1909. The city stretches approximately eight blocks from the Atlantic Ocean to the bay at most points in town and is roughly 2 miles long. Margate’s full-time population was estimated in 2007 at more than 8,500, less than 4,000 households and approximately 2,300 families.
