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Wed, Jan 07 2009 

Published: March 21, 2008 07:23 pm    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

HONORED: Petrozzi cited for Coats for Kids work

Capital Cleaners owner celebrates 80th birthday in style

By Rick Forgione/forgioner@gnnewspaper.com
Niagara Gazette

Joseph Petrozzi didn’t want anything special done for his 80th birthday — but he knew something was up when his entire family started arriving at Capital Cleaners on Friday.

“I was very surprised to see them, especially on a work day,” he laughed. “Somehow they must have planned this.”

The arrival of his loved ones wasn’t the only surprise. Mayor Paul Dyster and Council Chairman Sam Fruscione also made a visit to congratulate Petrozzi and present a proclamation in recognition of his years of service to the community through the Coats for Kids program.

“He’s one of those individuals that has given of themselves over the years for the benefit of the greater Niagara Falls community,” Dyster said of Petrozzi. “We could use 100 more people like him.”

Petrozzi, owner of Capitol Cleaners on Main Street, has gathered garments for the annual Coats for Kids campaign for more than half his life. Thousands of Items such as jackets, hats and scarves are collected, cleaned and distributed to the needy each winter.

The idea for the program started in the 1960s when Petrozzi was at his store one day and saw students at nearby Abate Elementary School entering the building. He solicited used coats from friends to give to those children, then opened the campaign up to his customers — and it continued to grow from there, now servicing around 15,000 children throughout the region.

The proclamation presented by Dyster credited him with “service to the city as a concerned business owner, as a community volunteer and as an individual who has served his fellow man.”

“I’m very appreciative of this honor,” Petrozzi said, but added the real credit goes to the thousands of donators. “When you see children happy, that’s the big thing. It might only be a coat, but to some kids, they think you’ve given them the world.”

Family members cheered and snapped photos as Dyster read aloud the proclamation. Afterward, 13-year-old Alexa Britton rushed into the room and gave her grandfather a big hug.

“I think it’s wonderful what he does to help so many people,” Britton said.

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Photos


Mayor Paul Dyster reads off a proclamation Friday recognizing Joseph Petrozzi, owner of Capital Cleaners, for his years of dedication and organization of the annual Coats for Kids campaign. It was also Petrozzi’s 80th birthday. By Rick Forgione/Niagara Gazette (Click for larger image)

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