HurriCon is the only benefit comics art convention in the New York area where all proceeds go right back to the church.

Hurricane Sandy hit my hometown of East Rockaway hard. Homes were flooded, trees were toppled, boats were thrown up on the mainland, and many residents were forced from their homes and lost everything.

The residents of The Village East Rockaway reacted fast and set up a relief center for donations at the Main Street Firehouse at 5 Main Street. When Pastor Mark Lukens, contact revlu@aol.com and 516-599-5768, of Bethany Congregational Church heard that the relief center needed a new home, he offered the Parish Hall gymnasium at Bethany, right up the street from the firehouse at 100 Main Street.

The relief center stayed at the Bethany Church gym for months. With the help of the Red Cross, FEMA, United Way and caring neighbors, donations of everything imaginable came in; mops, brooms,food, batteries, boots, clothing, MRE’s and the list goes on. People who lost everything came in and walked out with what they needed to get on with their lives.

Hundreds of people came to the Bethany Church gym during the following months and the gym floor took a beating and needed a facelift. The gym floor has been redone and looks great, but we still had to pay for it and that is how HurriCon was born in 2018! Bethany Congregational Church was founded in1885 at its original location of 100 Main Street and still has such much work that needs to be done.

What will you find at HurriCON 2022? Comic books of course, but also comic book writers and artists, toys, food, local artists, “The Walking Taco”, collectibles, cosplay, fellowship and much more. Our guest list included Sean C. Jackson, creator of “From Here To There” and the “Star Wars Maze” book will also return to HurriCon with copies of his new maze book, “Marvel Comics Mazes”. Also on the guest list are Marvel/DC Comics artist Keith Williams, Star Trek novelist Michael Jan Friedman, comic artists John Broglia and Will Torres, local comic artist Kimball Thrope and Bill Mitchell, Nuff Said radio show host and comic book experts Ken Gale and Mercy Van Vlack and many more. There will also be raffles for rare and hard to find items like original comic artwork and limited edition books and toys. . Please search “HurriCON” on Facebook and “HurriconLI” on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

HurriCON 2022 will take place Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10am – 5pm in the Parish Hall of Bethany Congregational Church at 100 Main Street, East Rockaway, New York 11518.

There is a $5 donation for admission at the door. Children under 12 in costume get in free. Bethany has been part of the community for almost 140 years and there is still much work to be done at the church.

All proceeds from this comic convention; admission, raffles, and food sales, will benefit the church that supports the community. Bethany Congregational Church of East Rockaway is an open and affirming congregation where everyone is welcome regardless of race, creed, color, or sexual orientation. Church is at 10:30 am every Sunday.