Broadway Stages Sponsors Toy Drive at Kingsland Avenue

In anticipation of the holidays, Brooklyn's largest full-service sound stage studio is preparing for another year of supporting local children! On December 16, Broadway Stages, in partnership with the 94th Precinct, is organizing a toy drive to collectively donate to Brooklyn families.

Dozens of dedicated Broadway Stages employees collect and distribute over a hundred toys during the annual donation drive. Purchasing dolls, actions figures, cars, and Legos, the staff at Broadway Stages and the officers at the 94th Precinct encourage each other to contribute to the drive to benefit our fellow neighbors.

The toy drive is open to all Brooklynites to participate, and the more the merrier! Whether you want to donate to the cause or come celebrate with your family, Broadway Stages welcomes you from noon to 3 p.m. next Saturday! Be sure to stop by; we would love to celebrate the night with our Greenpoint family!

Broadway Stages Supports Catholic Education in Brooklyn and Queens

Gina Argento, President of Broadway Stages, supports the 2017 Bishop's Christmas Luncheon to benefit student education at Catholic schools. On behalf of Broadway Stages, Gina participated in the lunch fundraiser as a Sleigh Bells Sponsor to the event.

The funds raised by Gina and others directly support student scholarships funded through the Bishop's Scholarship Program. The programs benefit New York families by providing them with the opportunity to send their children to Catholic school without worrying about the cost. The Bishop's Scholarship Program is invaluable in providing families with peace of mind and access to financial resources to take command of their children's educational careers.

Gina believes aiding local Catholic families through scholarships is essential in reducing financial burdens while allowing students to receive the best possible Catholic education. In fact, Gina participates in various other scholarship programs including those affiliated with Futures in Education and St. Ignatius School to help aid high school and middle school students. Striving to provide even more, Gina was inspired to create a Broadway Stages Scholarship with Kingsborough Community College that supports undergraduate media students in pursing a future in film!

Broadway Stages Supports CAMBA's 2020 Vision for New Yorkers

CAMBA services more than 45,000 New Yorkers a year dealing with housing instability, health advisory, language barriers, community safety, and job placement. Program access is available at 80 locations throughout the five boroughs, providing full engagement with the whole New York City community.

After learning about the dedicated team behind CAMBA's mission, Broadway Stages reached out to find ways to help. As a supporter of CAMBA's 2020 Vision initiative, Broadway Stages is excited be able to help more than 1,000 youths graduate high school and transition into college, prevent more than 15,000 New Yorkers from being homeless, and sustain more than 2,500 affordable housing units.

Broadway Stages hopes our contributions can help lend a helping hand for students, individuals, and families living in New York City. After all, New Yorkers are one big family, and Broadway Stages is always looking to help out our big family of New Yorkers!

Broadway Stages Sponsors Bushwick Winter Celebration at Irving Park

Celebrate the winter holidays at Bushwick's Irving Square Park! The annual winter celebration, sponsored by Broadway Stages, welcomes fellow Brooklynites to come together to witness the annual lighting of the Christmas tree.

The event will include performances from local groups, and refreshments will be served. Families, friends, and neighbors seeking a wonderful night of festive activities in anticipation of Christmas should attend the lighting ceremony.

Broadway Stages is happy to support programs that bring together members of the community. So swing by Irving Park today to meet your neighbors and experience a winter wonderland as snow descends upon the park!

Broadway Stages Sponsors Tree Lighting at Atlas Park

Christmas is right around the corner at Atlas Park!

Located in Glendale, Queens, The Shops at Atlas Park hold an annual tree lighting ceremony to kick off the holiday season. The event, sponsored by Broadway Stages, brings together residents to enjoy a festive event leading up to the holiday marked by presents and joyful memories. Gina Argento, President of Broadway Stages, celebrated alongside Congresswoman Grace Meng from the Flushing District, who also loves the festive atmosphere of the annual tree lighting event.

Turnout at the event was amazing, with many families attending. Young students sang and danced to classic Christmas tunes to keep attendees entertained. To wrap up the event, Santa Claus made rounds around the tree with a trail of helper elves and young children in festive Christmas clothes. The event was full of song and cheer, and the Atlas Christmas tree was beautiful to behold.

President of Broadway Stages Gina Argento and Congresswoman Grace Meng attend the annual tree lighting ceremony.

Broadway Stages Celebrates Thanksgiving With Borden Avenue Veterans Residence

Thanksgiving means sharing an incredible meal that brings together the people that matter the most to us. This year, to give thanks to and recognize the incredible bravery of our local veterans, Broadway Stages celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with veterans at the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence (BAVR).

The BAVR program is a city initiative funded by the New York City Department of Homeless Services that provides a short-term housing solution to veterans in the Long Island area. The facility accommodates 243 veterans who are assisted by BAVR to move to more permanent housing situations.

Welcoming our fellow veterans for a Thanksgiving feast, Broadway Stages donated fresh ingredients to the executive chef of The William Vale, who prepared meals to celebrate with our veterans. Our team efforts created a truckload of Thanksgiving classics, such as cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, stuffing, ham, and of course turkey!

Excited to serve our veterans, volunteers from Broadway Stages became waiters for the thanksgiving feast. They helped take orders, serve food, and clean up after each veteran. The incredible day was an amazing experience for our Broadway Stages volunteers who also participated last year and were thus able to see many familiar faces.

We want to thank our veterans for serving our country as well as the staff at BAVR and the chefs at The William Vale who helped bring this amazing event together!

Broadway Stages Supports New York City Audubon to Benefit Local Wildlife

Protecting. Conserving. Revitalizing. 

New York City Audubon ensures the proper treatment and management of New York City's beautiful natural ecosystems. Responsible for organizing surveys, species assessments, biodiversity research, public education, and public outreach programs of New York native wildlife species, the New York City Audubon Society concerns itself with establishing strict conservation practices and connects members of the community to take action together to fortify native and migratory bird habitats as well as other wildlife.

Broadway Stages believes that conservation practices and educating on biodiversity of native bird and wildlife species in New York is critical to preserving the natural environment for years to come. That is why Broadway Stages provides necessary funds for the continued environmental programs needed to expand and establish local ecosystems. Going beyond just sponsorship, Broadway Stages has also donated our rooftop space at 520 Kingsland Avenue, now known as Kingsland Wildflowers, to be used as an interactive habitat space designated for local wildlife in partnership with New York City Audubon.

Not only a sponsor to New York City Audubon, Broadway Stages also follows similar environmental behaviors by heavily engaging in environmentally conscious efforts and programs across Brooklyn and New York City for the purpose of keeping our environment clean for local wildlife. Our environmental stewardship and conservation practices range from utilizing eco-friendly solar-powered initiatives to cleanup programs to keep garbage off Brooklyn streets. Not only do these initiatives and programs benefit the local environment, ecosystems, and wildlife, but also our fellow Brooklynites who can enjoy a cleaner living environment.

Broadway Stages Supports Kingsborough Community College's Annual Fundraiser

A proud member of the Kingsborough Community College (KCC) community, Broadway Stages has contributed tremendous efforts to support the success of Kingsborough students. Whether the task at hand was to establish scholarships, help fund and build a new Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) lab, or support the Seaside Splash event, Broadway Stages has always risen to the occasion and continuously supported KCC in establishing, maintaining, and promoting the highest quality and standards of education for KCC students.

Most recently, Gina Argento, Board Member of Kingsborough Community College and President of Broadway Stages, has participated in KCC's Annual Fund Campaign. The Annual Fund Campaign is an initiative that distributes financial donations from members of the community who wish to support KCC and students in the pursuit of educational and academic excellence. The funds are used to create and establish new educational programing, maintain current programing, update current technologies, and establish scholarships to provide financial assistance. 

Broadway Stages's support of KCC's Annual Fund directly impacts the lives of many undergraduate scholars at KCC. As a financial contributor to the fund, Broadway Stages has helped KCC students treat patients in hospitals, provide programming for KCC students to learn about software and electrical engineering, and helped KCC students become mentors in their own communities. Most importantly, Broadway Stages's contributions have created a platform for KCC to encourage its students to plan, achieve, and surpass their academic and professional goals. We believe that student success can only benefit the Brooklyn community, and we encourage fellow students to make their dreams come true.

Seeing firsthand the incredible positive impact that we have on student lives has only encouraged Broadway Stages to become even more engaged and involved with KCC and the KCC community. Broadway Stages openly encourages fellow Brooklynites to support KCC and KCC students in building a better world for learning and academic success. Join us in supporting our local community college and you can see your impact today!

Broadway Stages, Kingsland Wildflowers Green Rooftop Honored at NYC Audubon Fall Roost

At the 2017 New York City Audubon Fall Roost, Broadway Stages was honored for their support of the Kingsland Wildflowers Green Rooftop Project, and their dedication to sustainability and commitment to environmental stewardship.  

In 2016 Broadway Stages collaborated with the New York City Audubon, Alive Structures, and Newtown Creek Alliance to create a large-scale, half-acre green roof. Located atop a sound stage at 520 Kingsland Avenue in Greenpoint, Broadway Stages donated the space, matched initial funding from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund, and continue to provide financial support for the infrastructure and garden maintenance.

The design of the rooftop garden by Alive Structures features native grasses and wildflowers intended to attract birds and other wildlife species; it also serves to divert rainwater runoff. The New York City Audubon manages the project and oversees the wildlife monitoring through bat and bird microphones and swallow houses installed on the green roof. The New York City Audubon is also responsible for managing year-round educational programs.

Broadway Stages's commitment to the environment and its community is summed up by Tony Argento, founder and Managing Partner: "We are happy to share this rooftop with the neighborhood and with the people interested. We are very devoted to our community; it's our duty to give back."

See what folks are saying about Broadway Stages and the Kingsland Wildflowers Project in the video commissioned by the New York City Audubon above.

"We would not have been able to do this project without a partner like Broadway Stages."
⎯ Kathryn Heintz, Executive Director, New York City Audubon

"It's become a real hub of environmental activity and education, and that wouldn't have been able to happen without the Argentos letting it." 
⎯ Marni Majorelle, Principal and Green Roof Specialist, Alive Structures

"The Kingsland Wildflowers roof is fantastic for the creek. Broadway Stages has been a great example of how a company that is not in the business of cleaning up the creek can go above and beyond to help out with these larger issues."  
⎯ Willis Elkins, Program Manager, Newtown Creek Alliance

Catholic Charities to Hold Annual Luncheon to Benefit New Yorkers

On December 6, Catholic Charities will hold its 72nd Annual Cardinal's Christmas Luncheon, commemorating seven decades of serving the New York community for the benefit of women, children, families, immigrants, and the homeless.

The Christmas Luncheon has long been the highlight of the organization's winter programs to raise critical funds needed to benefit hundreds of New Yorkers during the winter season. A portion of the funds will be used to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless during the cold months. In addition, funds raised will be used to support youth in need of physical, emotional, and psychological needs and services; strengthen families through counseling and cultivating individual plans for longterm solutions; and welcome, reunite, and assist immigrants in gaining citizenship and work authorization.

Among the board members excited for the Christmas Luncheon is Gina Argento, President of Brooklyn's Broadway Stages. Gina, who has long supported Catholic Charities and contributed to various events, believes that the luncheon is an important opportunity for community members to support each other. She holds firm that New York is a community where neighbors help neighbors, whether it is to provide meals, shelter, counseling, or legal assistance. As a supporting community member, she encourages everyone to help wherever and whenever they can with a unified goal of reinvesting back into our communities.

Broadway Stages Helps Moore Street Market Get Spooky for Halloween

The halloween spirit was alive at Moore Street Market, one of Brooklyn's oldest indoor markets. Celebrating the annual night of scares, Moore Street Market hosted an evening filled with community fun, welcoming all residents, families, and visitors.

Broadway Stages wanted Moore Street Market to be prepared for the hundreds of visitors that were expecting to be throughly entertained. To ensure that the event was a success, Broadway Stages donated to provide scary decorations, halloween-themed candy, and other necessary equipment. The evening was filled with cheers, screams, and laughter from members of the Brooklyn community. Visitors strolled through the market from vendor to vendor enjoying activities while displaying their costumes, which ranged from classic halloween characters to TV-inspired.

The event's success even caught the attention of Antonio Reynoso, council member of the 34th District, citing that Broadway Stages' contribution and collaboration was imperative to the success of the event. Broadway Stages would like to thank Antonio Reynoso for his support and words of encouragement. Broadway Stages wanted to make Halloween a fun and entertaining night for Brooklynites, and we are happy that we were able to accomplish that at Moore Street Market. We also want to thank the Brooklyn community for coming to the event and hope you all are ready for next year's halloween!

Council Member Antonio Reynoso

Huffington Post Talks Business and Charity With Broadway Stages CEO Gina Argento

Yitzi Weiner from the Huffington Post sat down with Gina Argento, President of Broadway Stages, to learn about one of New York City's top businesswomen in the TV and Film industry.

Gina explains that the family-run business was started by her brother, Tony Argento, who wanted to break into the exclusive industry. Shadowing her brother since she was 10-years-old, Gina continuously learned about the film industry and affiliated industries, such as real estate. After graduating from St. John's University, she became committed to the business full-time.

Since taking over the growing business, Gina has established Broadway Stages as the world's first solar-powered sound stage, created the nation's first commercial green roof farm under an affiliated company, created Greenpoint's now iconic Kingsland Wildflower garden space, and expanded the business into more than 45 sound stages. 

Among other achievements, Gina is always excited to talk about the amazing organizations that she has worked with, including the Audubon Society, Kingsborough Community College, Catholic Chairties, and the Staten Island Zoo, just to name a few. Gina explains that her success in the film industry should be reinvested back into the community, whether the causes are for increasing educational access or resources, communal adhesion and identity, environmental stewardship, or helping local businesses. By helping reach more people and positively impact them, Gina believes we can build a stronger and more meaningful community of families.

For the full interview, please click here.