By Joe Whalen
A wide array of shots on the golf course — as opposed to a menu of drinks at the bar — continues to produce a steady flow of funds for a special group of children in northeast Queens.
In June, the Mochler family, owners and proprietors of Patrick’s Pub & Cafe in Little Neck, and about 60 of their bar regulars played 18-hole rounds at Clearview Golf Course in Bayside. For the past 30 years, the Mochlers have donated proceeds from the annual outing to Queens Children’s Psychiatric Center in Bellerose.
Last month Frank Mochler presented Dr. Robert Schweitzer, the facility’s executive director, with a check for $2,800, the amount raised by this year’s event. The funds have been earmarked for supplies for upcoming holiday celebrations, a bowling league and special educational trips.
“It’s terrific,” Schweitzer said. “Frank Mochler is a man who has really made it his business to share his success with others. His support has been absolutely terrific for the children.”
After hitting the links, the group retreated to the newly renovated pub at 252-12 Northern Ave. for a multi-course dinner. During the post-golf festivities, the raffle of a piece of jewelry donated by two friends of the restaurant, Sal and Dot Catania, added funds to the bounty.
“The Mochler family has been a godsend to the facility,” said Anthony Liotta, QCPC director of community services. “They have been very loyal to the facility for many, many years. They are very selfless people who have the best interests of the children at heart. The money they raised at this golf tournament, every cent of it, is used to provide enrichment activities for the children.”
In the early 1970s, Patrick’s Pub & Cafe sponsored its first event for QCPC, raising money for the purchase of a bus. Since then, the Mochlers have provided support each year for the center, generating funds for PS 23Q, a school that sits on the property and educates residents and outpatients, and for the Iris Hill Day Treatment Program, which serves children aged 6-8.
Mochler organizes the annual event with help from his brothers, Patrick and John; his three daughters, Bette, Patricia and Fran; his son-in-law, Mike McPoland; and the pub’s head bartender, Andre Edu.
“That’s our prime charity,” Mochler said. “The reason we choose it is because it’s local and it’s for the community. They do a wonderful job with the children there.”
QCPC, one of six children’s psychiatric centers funded by the state Office of Mental Health, provides a wide range of psychiatric services to children and families from Queens and Manhattan. Services include inpatient treatment, several models of day treatment, outpatient clinics and intensive case management.
QCPC, at 74-03 Commonwealth Blvd., also serves as a major center for the training of child psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses. Training affiliations exist between the center and several local universities.
For more information about QCPC, please call Donna Arnone at 264-4515.
Reach reporter Joe Whalen by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
