Limited edition Superstorm Sandy books for sale at LBIF during 'Giving Thanks' event

The release of a limited edition of Surviving Sandy: Long Beach Island and the Greatest Storm of the Jersey Shore will be made available at a “Giving Thanks” evening hosted by the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. All profits from the sales of the special edition books will benefit local relief group Stafford Teachers and Residents Together (START).

The limited edition books are specially bound with cloth ribbon created by the publisher, Down The Shore. Only 137 copies are available. The first 100 books are numbered on the front endsheet. The remaining copies are foil-stamped “Limited Edition.” Each book sells for $100, and all revenue above the cost benefits START.

Photo via Down The Shore Publishing
Sales from the limited edition books of Surviving Sandy
benefit local relief group START, which was formed
last year during the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

The Foundation’s event is part of the month-long “Reflections of Sandy” exhibition about the impact of the storm on the community, which includes photographs and sculpture.

“We thought it would be a really nice evening to thank START for their work and be able to unveil the books here in the gallery, and allow everyone to see the artwork on the walls,” said Kristy Redford, Foundation executive director. “Most of the photographs from the book are in the gallery right now. They’re really wonderful,” she added.

Surviving Sandy author Scott Mazzella, along with other residents whose stories are shared in the book’s narrative, including START cofounder Joe Mangino, will be available during the evening to sign books.

The event is free and open to the public. Sangria and wine will be available, and participants can BYOB.

Additional copies of the regular edition of the book will also be available, and purchases of those copies will also benefit START.

START was founded, with photocopied flyers handed out right after the storm, by Mike Dunlea, a teacher in the Stafford Township School District, and by Mangino, whose wife is a teacher in the district.

“Even though their own homes were damaged, they felt compelled to help others in dire need throughout Southern Ocean County,” said Ray Fisk, a local resident and publisher of Down The Shore. “They networked and coordinated volunteers who were literally boots on the ground, gutting homes and helping residents recover. While many citizens and groups donated funds and services, START offered an incredibly valuable resource – people.”

START is currently being formalized into a full-fledged 501(c)(3) charity and continues to help local people in need more than a year after the storm struck.

For more information about the event, call the Foundation at 609-494-1241.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.