Billy Joel Long Island State Parks NYSOPRHP Master Builder Award Betpage State Park Carlyle on the Green

Long Island State Parks to Honor Billy Joel

Legendary Entertainer Receives Annual Master Builder Award

September 10, 2007

BABYLON, NY -- The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Foundation for Long Island State Parks, is pleased to announce that noted singer/songwriter/performer, Billy Joel, is the honoree receiving the Long Island State Parks’ Tenth Annual Master Builder Award. This honor is in recognition for his achievements in the entertainment industry and his efforts to protect Long Island’s historic maritime industries.

Tickets are now on sale for this prestigious, black-tie optional, gala which is being held on October 11, 2007, at Bethpage State Park’s Carlyle on the Green. The cost of a ticket is $500 or $6000 for a table of twelve.

Since Billy Joel joined his first band, The Echoes, (later known as The Lost Souls) in 1963, he has been nominated for and won a total of 50 awards and honors. This iconic singer/songwriter/performer has won six Grammys, has seen 18 Grammy Nominations, has had 16 albums achieving RIAA Platinum Status, two singles achieving RIAA Platinum Status, and four singles achieving RIAA Gold Status.

Joel has also been honored with 26 other awards and honors including the Town of Huntington in 1991 proclaiming "Billy Joel Park." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 by Ray Charles.

Created in 1997, the Master Builder Award recognizes nationally known figures who demonstrate “an uncommon ability to get things done.” The dinner brings together an elite group of over 300 leaders from the Long Island and New York Corporate and Philanthropic Community. In addition to Billy Joel, previous recipients include John Kanas, Donald J. Trump, legendary entertainer Bette Midler, Nobel Laureate Dr. James Watson, Ted Turner, Martha Stewart, Charles Dolan, Oleg Cassini, and Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater, Sarah Hughes.

Proceeds from the annual Master Builder Award Gala will be donated to the Foundation for Long Island State Parks, which enhances parks and activities for park visitors across Long island. Long Island’s 33 state parks provide 35,000 acres of open space, natural areas and recreational facilities, including 100 miles of shoreline, and welcome more than 20 million visitors each year. Facilities range from the spectacular beaches in Montauk and Jones Beach to lush gardens at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park. In 2002, Bethpage State Park’s Black Course was the first municipal golf course to host the U.S. Open National Championship, which will return to the Black in 2009.

The Master Builder Dinner Gala is hosted by Long Island State Parks and the Foundation for Long Island State Parks. For additional information and to purchase tickets for the Gala, please contact Long Island State Parks at 631-321-3403.

For more information about recreational and cultural opportunities in New York State Parks, please visit our website at www.nysparks.com.

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