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By: Tony Farina

The 15th annual Memorial Medical Center black tie gala will be held Saturday at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, and as in every previous event, it is sold out with 985 guests expected to attend.

The 2019 Premier, as it is billed, this year will honor Dr. Neil Dashkoff, director of the county’s first and only catheterization lab at the Heart Center of Niagara, located next to the Medical Center, and the Strangio family, owners of the Quality Inn, Antonio’s Banquet Center, and the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel.  The honorees are being recognized for their service to the hospital and the community.

Proceeds from this year’s gala will be dedicated to the hospital’s imaging services.  Proceeds from past events have supported new programs for heart and stroke care, critical care, specialized care for people with developmental disabilities, behavioral health care, women’s health care, and much, much more.

Dr. Dashkoff joined Memorial in 2017 as medical director of the heart catheterization lab.  Dr. Dashkoff is a cardiologist and clinical professor of medicine at UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and intervention cardiology.  

Dr. Neil Dashkoff

A member of many professional societies including the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Kashkoff’s leadership is credited with helping to contribute to the continuing success of the cath lab.  He is also being recognized for his ongoing efforts to teach and promote Memorial’s cardiac services.

The Strangio family, including Antonio Strangio and his sons Anthony and Frank, is being honored for their endless generosity and leadership in the expansion of tourism in Niagara Falls. 

Antonio’s Banquet Center is considered one of the area’s very best choices for important events, and the family’s commitment to customer service is one of the major reasons for its success and tremendous following.

The Strangio family will receive the Nancy Gara Spirit Award, presented in memory of a Western New York banking executive and former Medical Center board member who was renowned for her positive attitude and personal commitment to serving the community.

Joseph A. Ruffalo, President and CEO, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center

Co-chairs for Saturday’s gala are Sanjay Chadha, vice president for Memorial’s Service Line Operations; Dr. Sunita Chadha, his wife, who practices at the Williamsville-based WNY Rheumatology Center; Dr. Sachin Wadhawan, chief of Memorial’s cardiology department; and Dr. Deepa Sharma, the wife of Dr. Wadhawan, who practices dentistry in Ontario.  

Refreshments will be served at a welcoming area outside the actual dinner hall, beginning at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Since its beginning in 2004, the Premier has continued to gain stature and has become one of the most highly anticipated social events of the year in the Niagara Falls community, focusing attention of the important advances in medical technology and treatment at the Memorial Medical Center.