Yiani Galanos, owner of Jalapenos and Salads Co. in Margate receives the Joseph P. Tozzi Award of Distinction. From left, Ivan Escalona, MBA President Ed Berger, Galanos, PJ Tozzi and Roberto Escalona.
MARGATE The Margate Business Association has announced the Joseph P. Tozzi Award of Distinction recipients for 2020. Yiani Galanos, owner of Jalapenos and Salads Co. and California Yogurt, and Tim Wainwright, owner of Dino's Subs and Pizza are being recognized for their outstanding and dedicated service to the community.
Galanos contacted the MBA when the COVID-19 first impacted the city, offering to provide assistance to those in need. Galanos felt there were residents who would need help through a difficult time, including senior citizens with physical limitations who were unable or too frightened to leave their homes.
The MBA reached out to City Clerk Johanna Casey and Martin Bloom Pavilion Coordinator Marianne Christian, who regularly serves the senior population. Together they developed a list of residents and recruited volunteers to help distribute food to the seniors.
The list, which included seniors living beyond Margate's borders, grew to several pages long. It was clear that another partner was needed, so the MBA reached out to Wainwright for help. His response was immediate and enthusiastic.
Although the program ran quietly and anonymously behind the scenes for several months, hundreds of free meals were delivered to residents in need.
We thought it would be fitting to single out a businessperson who truly embodied the same spirit of our mentor and friend, Joe Tozzi, and annually present a token of recognition to them, MBA President Ed Berger said in a release. 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 who needed it. This is truly the spirit of our Margate business community.
Tim Wainwright, owner of Dino's Subs and Pizza in Margate is presented with the Joseph P. Tozzi Award of Distinction. From left, MBA President Ed Berger, Wainwright and PJ Tozzi.
The MBA will be making a donation to each recipient's choice of charity, which are The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
Tozzi, a long time Margate business owner and resident, was very proud of his community and was an active advocate for Margate businesses. He single-handily organized the Margate Business Association, making it a viable organization and served as its president for many years. Tozzi 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 in organizations, including Caring, Inc., Margate City Beautification Board, and the transition team of Dante Hall in Atlantic City. Tozzi helped a number of Margate businesses get their start and was a benefactor who sponsored children through the Children's International Program.
Upon his death on Oct. 22, 2019, MBA created the Joseph P. Tozzi Award of Distinction to create an enduring testimonial of his many years of service to the city and business community, and his many quiet gestures of generosity.
