From Hurricane Sandy victims to Barclays Center VIPs.
About 100 Big Apple residents whose lives were turned upside down by the hurricane had a reason to smile yesterday after feasting to an early Thanksgiving dinner at the Brooklyn Nets’ new home.
For many of the victims — who hailed from Red Hook and Canarsie in Brooklyn and the Rockaways in Queens – it was their first time at the arena, and they got to eat in style with arena honchos at Jay-Z’s swanky 40/40 Club and Restaurant. Afterwards, they sat in the stands and watched the Progressive Legends Classic college basketball tournament semifinals as No. 1 Indiana and Georgetown rolled to victories.
Some – including Michelle Matthews of the Arvene by the Sea complex in the Rockaways and her two young sons – told the Post they’re still displaced from their flooded homes and that yesterday’s arena invitation was a great way to get briefly forget the hardship they’ve recently had to deal with.
“I am so emotional because … we probably won’t have Thanksgiving this year. There’s no Thanksgiving because we don’t have a home, and there might not even be Christmas because we don’t even have anywhere to go,” a teary-eyed Matthews said.
However, she later added that what Barclays Center officials “did for us here is great because it makes us feel some holiday spirit.”
Barclays Center/Nets CEO Brett Yormark offered his support to Matthews and her sons, Christian Izien, 12, and Tyler Izien, 6.
When the boys told Yormark they were Knicks fans, a determined Yormark offered to take them to a future Nets game, so he could “convert” them over to Brooklyn’s new team.
“We understand our role; we know we have to give back,” Yormark told the Post afterwards. “We are very fortunate, and we have to help those who aren’t as fortunate.”
The arena and the Nets previously donated $300,000 to the Brooklyn Recovery Fund, which assists Brooklyn residents affected by Sandy.
Also on hand were Reginald Stanley and his 12-year-old stepson Jamel Evans, who live in public housing in Red Hook.
“The hurricane was devastating for us because we were without electricity, hot water and heat for two weeks,” Stanley said. “But we finally have it back, and it’s great to be here and finally feel like we can celebrate the holidays. This arena is amazing.”