Islanders partner with Operation Shower to celebrate military moms

When Cheryl Lindeman addressed the group of 25 military moms and moms-to-be and their partners inside the UBS Club at UBS Arena on Wednesday afternoon, she said it was important for the women to know that they are not alone.

Lindeman is the chief of staff for Operation Shower, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and honoring military families with group baby showers for moms who are on active duty or have spouses who are deployed.

On Wednesday, for the sixth time, the Islanders Children’s Foundation partnered with Operation Shower for a joyous and energetic baby shower. Mothers and future mothers who attended the event, which lasted more than two hours, received countless gifts, played games and bonded with women in similar situations as them.

“This is very nice that they're putting something on like this for all these military moms,” said Huntington’s Alexandra Twomey, whose husband is active in the Coast Guard and stationed in Shinnecock in the Hamptons. “I think it feels special to be recognized as a mom who either has a spouse in the military or is active duty themselves.

“It's really special for the Islanders and obviously Operation Shower to put this on.”

Twomey is due to have her first baby, a boy, on Aug. 17. Asji Pelzer, a recruiter for the Army who is stationed in New Jersey and lives in Pennsylvania, also is expecting her first child – a boy – in May.

“Getting here was a little hectic, but it's worth it, honestly,” Pelzer said. “I'm trying not to cry. Everyone seems so nice, and then just giving is just really sweet.”

Ryan, LLC, the Islanders’ official tax advisory partner, helped support the shower.

Shannon Hogan, the Islanders’ pregame and postgame studio host on MSG Networks, served as emcee for the event.

The gifts included hand-crocheted puppets of Sparky (the Islanders’ mascot), Islanders onesies, Fisher-Price playsets, nursing pillows, shoes, all-in-one bottle sterilizers and dryers, bath-time essentials and much more.

Lindeman said Operation Shower has been traveling around the country since 2007 and has provided over 10,000 military moms with baby showers.

“This is an event that we all look forward to at the Islanders, giving back to military members in our community,” said Ann Rina, the Islanders’ vice president of community relations. “I think the success is seeing all these great moms who are now networking with people in similar situations, and they're really helping each other through probably one of the most important times of their lives.

“And for us to play a part in that, it's really special.”

Staten Island’s Angye Avila, whose husband is actively recruiting for the Marine Corps, has a son who just turned three months old. She said the most fulfilling part of the day was talking to other moms, noting she often talks to Marines spouses but rarely gets an opportunity to talk to women whose husbands are in other military branches.

“It's been really exciting,” Avila said. “Everyone's been so kind. Getting all the gifts was just so exciting. Lots of surprises. Honestly, a very good time. And it's always nice to be surrounded by other military families.”

Bellmore’s Colleen Ryan and her husband both served in the Coast Guard. Ryan, who grew up in Levittown and is a lifelong Islanders fan, was showered by the Islanders a few years ago and volunteered at Wednesday’s shower, something she also did last year.

“I think that it is such a wonderful event to showcase how grateful these teams, these sponsors, the co-sponsors are for their service, and how happy they are for them to start a family,” she said. “It really is what it’s all about.”

The shower also provided an opportunity for non-hockey fans to potentially raise their kids as Islanders fans.

“I don’t know [anything] about hockey,” Avila said. “But after today, I’ll look into it.”

Twomey, who grew up in Seaford, is a Rangers fan.

“Sorry, but the UBS Arena is very nice, and the Islanders have a nice home here,” she said.

But did the Islanders win her over just a bit on Wednesday?

“A little bit today,” Twomey said. “The onesie. The onesie really won us over.”