ANTONIA M. DONOHUE HAS WITNESSED the seriousness of heart disease firsthand. Like millions of other Americans, the Huntington resident and her husband have had family members suffer heart attacks and strokes, some debilitating and some fatal. The experience inspired Donohue to become involved with the American Heart Association and promote its mission to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, which are the number one and five killers of Long Island women, respectively, according to AHA. Most don’t notice the symptoms until it’s too late, earning heart disease its “silent killer” moniker.
Related Content: Go Red All Year Long
Donohue, an attorney at Garden City’s Jaspan Schlesinger LLP where she heads the firm’s banking and financial services group, has been focused on fundraising on behalf of the organization for the past year. Last month, she chaired the 16th Annual Long Island Go Red For Women Luncheon held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, one of the organization’s largest outreach events. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with and get to know the extraordinarily dedicated staff of AHA and the committee for this luncheon,” Donohue said. “This luncheon is widely attended and sponsored by so many business leaders. It is a testament to the power of people working together to prevent and alleviate human suffering.”
Donohue’s philanthropic efforts go beyond her work with AHA. She is also on the advisory board of Adelphi University’s Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, is an active member of the fundraising committee for the American Kidney Fund and previously donated time to child welfare agencies.
Despite her long history of giving back, Donohue said she doesn’t consider herself a philanthropist. “Instead, I believe that everyone has time, talent or treasure that they can use to help someone less fortunate,” she stated. It is a philosophy instilled in Donohue from an early age. “My mother always said, ‘Count your blessings and make your blessings count.’ In other words, be grateful for all the gifts you have been given and find a way to make those gifts work.”