Cheerios box becomes tribute to Long Island woman

Fundraising was something Susan Galligan excelled at.

So it didn’t surprise her co-workers at the West Babylon ShopRite when Galligan was chosen as one of the 91 employees nationwide to be recognized for raising money for the company’s “Partners in Caring” event last October.

In recognition of the store’s fundraising efforts for local banks such as Long Island Cares and Island Harvest, Galligan and Rachael DiSanza, 21, the store’s head bookkeeper, were selected to be featured on a Cheerios box with employees from 40 other stores.

“Susan was the one that really put everything together and pushed everyone to raise money,” said DiSanza. “She was really excited to be on the box.”

As part of the effort, Galligan, DiSanza and other employees sold hot dogs and asked customers for donations.

“She [Galligan] had a lot to do with motivation, coming up with themes to try to raise money, just anything to try to get donations to go toward this cause to fight hunger,” said Melissa Buonadonna, district manager of ShopRite.

But the day Galligan was supposed to be getting her photo taken in New Jersey with dozens of other ShopRite employees for the cereal box, her family and friends instead were mourning her death.

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Galligan, 54, the former front end manager of the West Babylon ShopRite, was driving to work at 6 a.m. from her home in Riverhead on Oct. 30, when a vehicle in front of her on Sunrise Highway slid on ice and hit a guardrail. Galligan's car slid on the same ice, hit the other car, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Because of her untimely death, Galligan’s image was transposed into the picture being featured on the back of Cheerios boxes nationwide.

“I think it’s even more special now because my daughter, who is 2, says, ‘Grandma Susan’ when she sees it [the photo]. My kids want to bring the Cheerios box to school,” said her daughter Kelly Anne Ambrosio, 33. “It’s a great way to keep her memory alive.”