Greenpoint Hero Donates $20k Toward Beloved Neighborhood Christmas Lights

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN — The hero of Greenpoint this holiday season is a real estate broker named Sonny Mukhopadhyay, who was born and raised in the neighborhood. Mukhopadhyay noticed there had been no holiday lights the past few years in the neighborhood, and he wanted desperately to give something back to the community he knows and loves.

So he gave a $20,000 check toward holiday lights decorating the town.

Greenpoint holiday lights were a yearly staple for the neighborhood when Mikhopadhyay came of age, he said. "I grew up with those lights, I remember them every year as a kid," Mikhopadhyay told local reporter Hazel Sanchez.

But in 2013, the streets went dark on Christmas due to lack of funding. Despite several years of fundraising efforts by neighborhood donut shop owner Donna Siafakas to get the lights up again, the neighborhood couldn't raise enough money for 2016 holiday cheer.

That's where Mikhopadhyay came in and handed Siafakas the massive check. She said she almost fainted.

"I just wanted people to be happy and jolly," Mikhopadhyay said.

He didn't plan on being the hero of the town, he said.

Mikhopadhyay inspired several Greenpoint businesses to donate more to the lights fund than they would have, he said, now that there is literally a light at the end of the fundraising tunnel.

Photo credit: Public domain