Stephanie Bontempi Honors John Broderick With Irish Award

By Thomas Nothel

On Wednesday, March 27th, the Suffolk County Legislature hosted its Second Annual Irish American Heritage Day Celebration.  Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) honored John Broderick as her “Irish American Person of Distinction.”

Broderick was born and raised in Queens by parents Ellen and Bill, both of Irish Heritage, who taught John growing up the family values of working hard and giving back. He currently resides in Greenlawn.

John joined the AOH Huntington Division 4 in 2008 to connect with his Irish heritage and support his new community while making friends.

As he rose through the ranks, Broderick organized two annual fundraisers. The first one, Comedy Night, was started in 2017, and it supports high school SEPTA scholarships. The second one, a Chili Cook-Off, was started in 2019 to assist AOH division brothers in need.

In 2021, John became the division president while Covid was still prevalent. He led a group of division brothers to create a “virtual St. Patrick’s Day parade” video, allowing the division to raise money to continue helping those in need during troubled times.

In 2022, the AOH division established the inaugural Junior Division to promote Irish history awareness among the next generation. The division held numerous community food drives and other fundraisers, including the annual Huntington St. Patrick’s Day parade, and began to thrive again.

“John exemplifies the true values of an Irish gentleman, hard work and community service,” stated Bontempi. “John has made significant contributions to our community, is a truly wonderful person and it is an honor to be able to recognize him today.”

Broderick is a member of AOH Division 4. He is also a new board member of the Suffolk County AOH and celebrates his heritage alongside his family, who are all members of Division 4's AOH & LAOH.