THE SHIFTS OF HIS LIFE
Meet Todd Aronovitch, my favorite former colleague
Over the weekend , I posted the Point Blank Power 25 - a list of the most influential people in Islanders Country. It got lost a bit after the curious leaking of Satan news. More important than all that, this post is about my favorite former colleague…CB
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Phil Forgash, the vocational coordinator of the Rosemary Kennedy BOCES School, figured it couldn’t hurt to make the call. Worst-case, the Islanders would say no.
The BOCES program prepares handicapped children in Nassau County for life after high school. The school’s directors do everything in their power to find jobs for their students, which is why Forgash called the Islanders.
“When our students are approaching graduation,” he told me and a close colleague in that phone call 14 years ago, “we ask them: ‘if you had your choice, where would you like to work’? Some of them say McDonald’s or Blockbuster or in a nice office somewhere. Applebee’s is a popular one. Last week one of our students gave us quite a challenge. He said he wanted to work for the New York Islanders. He asked, so I’m keeping my pledge to all of our students by placing this call.”
Todd Aronovitch, Rosemary Kennedy BOCES School Class of 1995, has been an employee of the Islanders ever since. For at least one day a week, Todd comes to the office and takes care of business. If you have ever received mail from the Islanders, chances are Todd helped make it happen.
Affected by mental retardation and cerebral palsy, the Winnipeg-born Todd is old enough to remember when Dale Hawerchuk and the Jets were a big part of the NHL. When he was 12 his family – mom, dad, older brother and older sister – moved to Long Island so Todd could receive better services. Since hockey was such a big part of his life, and since Todd is not shy about anything, he requested the career placement at the Islanders.
When we worked together all those years, sometimes I would affectionately call Todd “I.P.” for reasons he never knew and was too polite to ask. I.P. stood for Instant Perspective. With Todd around – smiling, laughing, working hard despite the obstacles – really, who were any of us to ever complain?
From time to time, Todd’s grace would extend beyond the office to the rink. There was the day in the late ’90s when the Islanders were going through another endless losing streak. Delivering the newspaper clips to the coaching staff one morning, Todd told them, “Our team needs to wake up and smell the coffee.”
Two hours later, the team meeting in the Islanders locker room was kicked off with Todd telling the boys to wake up and smell the coffee. Overwhelmed by the perspective and charged up to win one for Todd, the next day the Islanders practically flew on to the Coliseum ice and…okay, they only tied Hartford. It was a start. They won the game after that.
Todd Aronovitch may not make miracles, but to everyone he’s ever met, he is one.
Comments. Details on the Lighthouse march and rally below. Working on one more post today.
45 Responses to “THE SHIFTS OF HIS LIFE
Meet Todd Aronovitch, my favorite former colleague”
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Great story CB. Thanks for sharing
great story
I remember Todd from when I interned there….what a great, nice kid he was, to me..and just in general.
Really nice piece CB!
A real nice deed and story. I smell lucrative movie script…
another good one.
Looking foward to the next Who am I story.
Never can hvae too much perspective in life..and dare I say around Islanders country.. Great story and choice made to share. Kudos
Yet another tremendous post and truly a story to put a lot of b.s. into its proper perspective. Thanks CB!
great job with that story. we all need a Todd in our lives. thanks.
Good stuff. Glad he told the team to get to work. Enjoyable read
Its stories like this one that make being a reader of this blog so much more worth every minute we spend on here. Thanks for great stories like this one and every other one that you take the time to write up. Todd sounds a great guy and someone would always have a great time hanging around with.
Thanks for writing this, Chris. My sister is mentally handicapped, and I know how much a little respect and friendship means to her and others like her. And kudos to the Isles for employing Todd in his dream job.
I remember Todd from when I interned with the Islanders in the fall of 2006. The first thing Todd said to me was “Your Fired” What a great guy and great write up CB.
With his 15 year anniversary coming up, what better way to show some gratitude and get him to drop the first puck at a game this year. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Great story CB.
Great, great story CB. It’s funny you mentioned that. I have seen his picture in the Islanders yearbooks each year and I think it is great what they are doing. Giving someone an opportunity to do something they love is always a great thing. Bravo to the NYI for this type of situation.
This is yet another example of how deep the Islanders roots are planted within the Long Island community & a glowing example of how important it is to keep this team on Long Island for years to come.
i think otter has a great point in post #13. maybe cb can pull some strings for todd, that would be a great moment to show appreciation from all of us for those in the organization who dont get to wear the jerseys.
We all need some IP once in a while, thanks for providing some.
I say send him to camp at Saskatoon to inspire the troops.
What a wonderful story. Thanks Chris. Another reason to love the Isles.
Way to go Todd!
Awesome piece, CB! Thanks. Very inspirational. You’d make one great sentimental novelist.
nice story
That was great CB. Keep up the good work, Todd!
OMG! What a sweet story. Now I’m going to cry all day. This is so nice.
Excellent story. I bet when you reply to some posters about their similar internet protocal address’ you must often think of IP’s “address”.
Thanks for sharing that!
Cris, can you please forward this story to Kate Murray’s office. Thank you..
I have a son who attended the Rosemary Kennedy BOCES School in Nassau County. The school does a great job of preparing these very SPECIAL people with a future. These special people have a certain prespective on life that we can all learn something from.
This is a terrific story, thank you CB.
Perfect story CB - Thank you for writing entries like this and thank hockey teams and hockey players for being different. I always send stuff like this to my fiance she loves them…
thanks for sharing. i agree…let him drop the puck at center ice.
another inspirational story as good as Miriam from Forest Hills!
CB, you should collect a lot of these up and publish “Tales from Islanders Country”
beautiful story. i hope the people at BOCES arer seeing it.
Yet another reason why this blog is so incredible. I truly enjoy these “insider” looks at the people, processes and experiences that are a part of this great franchise. Stories such as this make me appreciate them even more. Thanks Botta - Keep up the great work!
Win one for the TODD…
Good stuff.
Great story. Get Todd to a podium on August 4th!
Good for Todd! And I thought I might be the biggest Isles fan alive….
CB thanks for sharing. However BOCES isnt the only program out there providing great work to young adults like Todd. Catherine Laboure Special Ed Program-Operation FUN…provide great assistance. Most of the educators at program like BOCES deserve much praise.
What a great story CB.My son also attends Rosemary Kennedy,It’s really great to see my favorite team do something like this.Best of luck to Todd.
I was getting scared…
I was getting scared of reading, “We lost Todd to (whatever) this past weekend…”
Thank the Lord I didn’t have to read that.
And yes, someone send this to Kate Murray.
We are Todd’s parents, sister and brother. We want to thank everyone for their sincere and heart-warming comments. We especially want to thank Chris Botta and the New York Islanders for giving Todd the opportunity to show that despite being handicapped he can make a positive contribution especially in dealing with people. Chris has been an incredibly positive influence on Todd. Chris was responsible for hiring Todd and while with the Islanders, Chris looked out for Todd and always made Todd feel important-that his job with the Islanders was very important. The current staff have taken up that responsibility.
We want to thank all employees of the Islanders, past and present, for their honesty and for making Todd feel welcome. The Islanders office has always been a second home to Todd.
We want everyone to know that we are indebted to the New York Islanders for taking the opportunity to get to know Todd. There are not many corporations that would take a chance on hiring a handicapped person.
Todd works every Thursday at the Islanders office. That is THE special day for him. The staff treats him with respect, invite him to lunch, joke and tease him - he loves that. He feels accepted and he looks at everyone of them as his friends- all of them, past and present.
As his parents, his brother and sister, we want to thank eveyone for their wonderful comments and especially to Chris Botta, the Ownership and Management of the New York Islanders and to all employees past and present.
To our family, no matter what happens on the ice, the New York Islanders ownership, management and employees are Number One in the NHL and have been for at least the past 14 years.
Roberta and Sheldon Aronovitch,
Jorelle and Blaine
What a heart-warming story that goes above and beyond what any Hollywood movie can illustrate, and it does so by means of veracity(truth). Seldom, do you see an organization of this scale, embrace such an audacious young man.
Great story CB!
it is very nice to hear from Todd’s family. I remember my days interning with the Islanders and seeing Todd walk around making sure everything was in order. it always put a smile on my face. glad that todd is happy and doing well.
Very heartrending to hear from Todd’s family. Kudos to CB and Isles mgmt for making a difference in a special young man’s life. A lot of us in all walks of life–especially around the NY area–need a healthy dose of perspective, and I wonder if the joy Todd’s job brings to him can match the joy his presence brings to the Isles office.
shoot..you made me cry on a Friday.
I am so angry this is even an issue. Wake up Isles country. We can not stand by and let it happen.
Todd is a very intelligent men, with love, carring, understanding. When i dont feel good or not in the mood Tood always make me laugh with joy and happiness.
Kepp up the good work Todd.. I hope to see you work more and many more then 14 years with the Islanders.
Frantz Aristyl