St. Mary’s Kids Surprise Holy Cross’ Michael Genovese With a Retirement Party

Genovese to Retire After Four Decades of Service to St. Mary’s Kids

“Service is a two-way street. When you give, you get a lot more in return and there’s no better feeling than that,” Michael Genovese, Director of Service Learning at Holy Cross High School in Flushing, has been known to say. St. Mary’s Kids followed Mr. Genovese’s example and threw him a heartfelt goodbye party to celebrate his years of service to St. Mary’s, complete with cake, hand-made cards, and posters. Genovese is retiring from his position at Holy Cross after 44 years of service.

During this time, Mr. Genovese has played a huge role in the lives of countless young patients at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, some of New York’s most critically ill and injured children who require long-term intensive rehabilitation and specialized medical care. Each week, Mr. Genovese brings a busload of high school students from Holy Cross to work with the children in the hospital’s onsite public school, PS 23 Q, on arts and crafts, science projects, poetry readings and other hands-on activities.

Over the years, Mr. Genovese has encouraged hundreds, if not thousands of Holy Cross students to show exemplary leadership by engaging the young patients in activities, supporting the programs and services at St. Mary’s, and instilling a life-long commitment to service. “This experience at St .Mary’s has a huge impact upon my students,” explained Genovese. “It is something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives; and from this, they have learned to appreciate life.”

“Mike Genovese demonstrates the true spirit of service in everything he does. He has imparted the importance of community and selflessness in generations of Holy Cross students and St. Mary’s Kids,” remarked Jeff Freichs, CEO of St. Mary’s. “We are grateful for his dedication and friendship and wish Mike the very best on his retirement.”