The Greatest Dinner Event Ever!
142nd Anniversary Lincoln Dinner
Sunday, March 19, 2017 at Antun’s of Queens Village
After the allegedly “crippling snow” of the last few days, the weather was lovely on Sunday March 19th, for the 142nd Anniversary Lincoln Dinner, with bright sunshine, clear blue skies and temperatures in the upper 40s. The stage was set for our most joyful and exhilarating event. “The greatest dinner event ever,” was the way one of the guests described it. It was an event that bolstered the morale and pride of every guest in the grand ballroom at Antun’s, which numbered well over 300, which broke all previous historical records of our club’s annual gala dinner parties.
Brandon Muir, Executive Director of the Reclaim New York Center for Government Reform and Accountability was the featured speaker at our March 2nd General Club Meeting. He spoke about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s latest budget proposal – at $84.6 billion dollars – which is nearly 25% higher than Mayor Bloomberg’s last effort. The bottom line for New Yorkers, our taxes will make up the difference. To fully understand how these budgets impact you and your family, he spoke about the financial obligations these spending promises carry, along with an outlook for governance across New York over the next two years.
We are proud to announce that Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis will be honored at the 142nd Lincoln Dinner as the Republican Woman of the Year, for Woman’s History Month. The gala dinner party kicks off on Sunday, March 19th at 3pm at the renowned Antun’s of Queens Village. She is being honored for standing up with the force of a one-woman army in the NYS Assembly, and speaking out boldly on the major issues of public safety, national security and the rule of law, which affect all New Yorkers. She is a shining example of a true leader elected by the people to uphold the principles of the Republican Party in our government.
When on April 6, 2016 John LaValle, 48, the then and current Suffolk County Republican Chairperson announced at a Long Island Trump political rally that he was endorsing the controversial billionaire for the GOP Presidential nomination, many leaders from both the Democrat and Republican parties were said to be in a state of shock. While it is rare to have them agree on any political matter, concerning LaValle’s endorsement of Trump, who came to Long Island that day to thank LaValle (as well as several other Republicans) for his support, they were in full accord. 
Every year during the mid-winter season, the spotlight is on our annual Lincoln Dinner, which has earned the reputation over the years as the most lavish and exciting annual Republican political event in New York City. It’s a celebration of our first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, Savior of the Union, and Man of the Common People.
We are proud to announce, Suffolk County GOP Chairman John Jay LaValle will be our keynote speaker at the 142nd Anniversary Lincoln Dinner on Sunday, March 19. Chairman LaValle will also be honored as the American Patriot of the Year, and there is no one more deserving of this honor. As former Trump Surrogate and the NYS GOP Regional Vice Chair, he will be imparting his renowned “winning spirit” to light the fire of victory in eastern Queens, at the dinner party billed as a “Hometown Celebration” of President Trump’s great victory. This is fitting, since our president was born and raised not much more than a mile from the dinner venue at Antun’s of Queens Village, where nearly every New York Governor, New York City Mayor, and President of the United States has been in attendance since the 1950s.
Has the American media lived up to their time-honored role in our society to “report” the news? The media, commonly known as “the fourth estate,” was an unofficial check on the three co-equal branches of our government. 
I would like to praise President Donald Trump’s speech to congress. He spoke on many important projects the administration is proposing, like rebuilding America, immigration reform, health care, ways to address crime, hate, jobs, tax cuts and an increase in military spending. But what got to me most and almost brought a tear to my eye was the mentioning of the death of a Navy Seal in the line of duty. He said,”We are blessed to be joined tonight by Carryn Owens the widow of U.S. Navy operator, Senior Chief William Ryan Owens. Ryan died as he lived, a warrior and a hero, battling against terrorism and securing our nation.” This was received with almost a two minute applause and brought his widow to tears. This was a great tribute by President Trump, which in my opinion honored a Navy Seal who gave his all to America. As a former U.S. Sailor in the U.S. Navy, I salute Senior Chief William Owens. I would also like to offer my heartfelt prayers to his wife, Carryn Owens who has lost so much as well as did all of America.
“ When Kathleen Sebelius signed the ‘abortion pill’ mandate, the conscience rights and religious freedom of millions of Americans were egregiously denied”, Barbara Samuells, co-founder and President of Catholics for Freedom of Religion (CFFR; 
We are proud to announce that Tariq Rehmat, National Diversity Coalition for Trump Advisor, will be the recipient of the prestigious Republican Leader of the Year Award at the 142nd Anniversary Lincoln Dinner. The 2017 Lincoln Dinner hosted by the Queens Village Republican Club, America’s oldest Republican Club, is the club’s annual gala dinner party, which this year will be a “Hometown Celebration” of the great victory of President Donald J. Trump, who was born and raised here in Jamaica Estates, Queens. The dinner celebration will be held on Sunday, March 19, 2017, 3 – 8 pm at Antun’s, 96-43 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village, NY.