N.J. Devils’ Joe Gambardella brings second annual ‘Carnival Day’ to children with disabilities at the Seton Foundation

It was all sunshine and smiles in St. Joseph Hill Academy on Wednesday, where New Jersey Devils forward and Staten Island native Joe Gambardella brought his second annual “Carnival Day” to the Seton Foundation for Learning. The event, sponsored by Gambardella’s Stride 2 Greatness hockey program and Supreme Italian Market, provided the nonprofit school for children with disabilities a day filled with food, snacks and outdoor games and activities.

Approximately 60 students, from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, joined Gambardella and company for lawn bowling, bean bag toss and other games, as well as ice cream. Gambardella, a product of Monsignor Farrell, and his wife, Jenna, went around encouraging the youth and handing out celebratory awards and gold medals.

“It’s important to us because it gets kids out of the classroom and out into the sun,” Gambardella explained. “They can enjoy the day and have fun. Just being part of the event is a privilege and an honor. We just want the kids to be here having fun.”

“Giving back to the community is very rewarding to see the happy smiles,” he added. “I’m truly blessed to be a part of it and so glad my wife was able to join in on the fun this year.”

Mike and Joe Castellano, owners of Supreme Italian Market, joined Gambardella as “carnies” for the day and were assisted by student volunteers from St. Joseph Hill, Monsignor Farrell and Xaverian.

“Having the people of Staten Island and these other students come out is such an example of how people can be to help each other and especially to help these kids,” said Mary Hughes, executive director of the Seton Foundation.

“I think it’s amazing that they took the time to come and spend time with the kids and spend the whole morning with them, it’s great,” added preschool teacher Melissa Kashubo. “Seeing how happy they really are makes a difference.”

“The children were laughing and having a great time and it was great to see them smile,” she added. “We appreciate them coming every year.”

The three-hour event was especially appreciated after the recent pandemic protocols, which limited the possibilities for similar events in the past.

“We were very happy to be invited to this event. We loved it,” said preschool director Nicole Kuse. “Especially after everything we’ve been through the last two years, it’s great to be able to be out and celebrate with the community.”

“We’re really blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate and we don’t get many opportunities to enjoy with the community, but to have others come out and wait for us is really incredible,” she added.

Gambardella has partnered with Supreme Italian Market for other local charity events in the past and plans to expand Carnival Day in the near future. He hopes to incorporate more schools into a larger site.

“The more people we get involved, the more engaging and fun it is and the more people experience a great cause and get out for the day,” Gambardella said.

“These kids are going through a tough time and they don’t ask for anything in return, so it’s so rewarding to be able to give them something to look forward to,” he added. “To be able to come back to Staten Island and do things like this is really a privilege and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”

Gambardella is currently training for the upcoming hockey season in Saratoga. He spent last season with the Utica Comets of the AHL, but hopes to rejoin the NHL ranks with the Devils at some point in the 2023-24 season.