Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst, N.Y., Inc.
Serving the Children of the World
•
2019 Scholarship Awards
•
Time to get out and smell the roses.
•
KPTC, PBS and Lindy Cares at Lindenhurst Kiwanis
Lindenhurst Kiwanian Vo l u m e
2 ,
I ssu e4
Still kickin’ up our heels to raise money
•
Kiwanis helps feed the hungry
Nicholas Hager is this May 9th was a special evening year’s Class Valedictorian. for the Kiwanis Club of LinNicholas has been a member denhurst, its five scholarship of the Key Club, Rotary’s winners and their families. Interact club, Science club, a The club has awarded over volunteer at Good Samari$450,000 to graduating sen- tan Hospital and a the LI iors since its founding in Soccer Referee. His passion 1950. is running and he is captain of the Boys Varsity track The Tony Lazio and Larry team. He credits running Troiano Memorial Scholarships are named for early club with teaching him how hard members who worked feverishly at the club’s annual Steak Fry to raise money for the scholarship fund.
Inside this issue:
The William Jubak Memorial and Richard Heuwetter Memorial Key Club Scholarships are awarded to Key Club members to honor William Jubak, the first Key Club advisor at Lindenhurst High School and Richard Heuwetter, a past Lt. Governor of the Suffolk West division.
Springtime is Here
2
Speakers Welcome
2
Kiwanis Kalendar
2
Lindenhurst Community Cares
3
Country Music Party III
3
Lazio-Troiano Memorial Scholarships
Food Drive
3
Cesar Bravo will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his goal is to be a chemical engineer. He is a member of the North Lindenhurst Fire Department, plays on the JV Boys Soccer team, volunteers at Good Samaritan Hospital, is a lifeguard and plays piano for relaxation.
Member Profile: 4 Mark Dawson
201 9
Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst 2019 Scholarship Awards Dinner By: Garry Biggs and Paula M. Vidal
•
May
work and perseverance lead to success. Nicholas plans to attend SUNY Buffalo and wants to be a meteorologist. Jubak-Heuwetter Memorial Key Club Scholarships Monika Orzelowski has been an member and officer of Key Club since freshman year. She performs with the high school marching band, Odyssey Acapella Group, is in the Tri M Music Honor Society and the Thespian Troupe. She discovered her passion for theater when she was cast in a school play where she studied Polish, her family’s native language. She has since earned the
highest possible grade on her Matura Polish Basic Exam demonstrating proficiency in the language. Monika plans to study Theater Arts. Dana Storm plans to study nursing at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue. She has been an active member and officer of the Key Club since freshman year. She has earned the Girl Scouts Silver Award, was selected for the school’s Peer Leadership program serving as a mentor and positive influence for younger classmates. Dana has been a dependable volunteer for our village’s community organizations by helping at street fairs and festivals. Michael Cagigas has been a dependable member of the Key Club assisting our club with food drives, children’s holiday breakfast and reading to young people at the library. He has been a support to his family in caring for his special needs brother. Michael plans to study nursing at SUNY Farmingdale. This year’s group of students came right to the top of the pack. We wish them success and are very proud that they will represent Lindenhurst and our club as they embark in their studies.
Page 2
Springtime is Here! By: Ralph A. Somma
While you wouldn’t know it from the 45-degree weather we’re experiencing, I’m happy that Spring is here. With the warmer weather, our beaches and parks come to life; Long Islanders take sail on our great South Bay and Sound; and the greenery and colorful flowers give one a sense of rebirth and new opportunity. As we enter the second half of my term as President, we plan to take full advantage of every opportunity the warmer weather offers to
special showing of It’s a Wonderful Life, and our scholarship awards dinner. get our community – especialWe’ve seen our Scout Pack ly young people – involved in 645 thrive under new Scout Lindenhurst Kiwanis. Master Melody Butler; erectBecause the Kiwanis year ed a Christmas Tree at Linstarts in October, the weather denhurst Cares Coalition brought its own challenges to Light-Up Lindy event; and at the first half of my presidenthe Kiwanis mid-winter cy. Those challenges were meeting, achieved distincompounded by rotator cuff guished honors and took surgery I underwent in Febru- first prize in the Newsletter ary. Nevertheless, our club competition. members persevered and What a rewarding year it’s stepped up! been. But I know we can do We hosted two country music more; especially with the parties, two food drives, our longer and warmer days children’s Christmas party, a ahead.
Speakers Welcome By: Ralph A. Somma
Lindenhurst Kiwanis Board members with PBS Community Foundation Executive Director Ruth-Ann Hartney
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” Mahatma Gandhi
Our meetings are a great opportunity to learn about our Kiwanis family of division, district and international clubs. But did you know we regularly invite guest speakers to learn about the impact other organizations are having in our community and how Lindenhurst Kiwanis can help?
provide to the children’s hospitals at North Shore and Stony Brook Universities and about the dangers of distracted driving.
In April the Lindenhurst Community Cares Coalition shared the work they’re doing to combat the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs by young people in our community. Lindy Cares ExecuIn March, Joe Corace, Presitive Director Lori-Ann Nodent of the Kiwanis Pediatric vello also discussed the Safe Trauma Center (KPTC), spoke Space Campaign which about the support Kiwanians helps parents prevent un-
derage drinking in their homes. On May 2, Ruth-Ann Hartney, Executive Director of PBS Community Foundation, discussed the work of PBS to help children and adults with disabilities become active and productive members of our community. We love working with organizations that share our mission to improve the world one child and one community at a time. If you are interested in attending or speaking at one of our meetings, please contact us at lindenhurstkiwanis@gmail.com.
Kiwanis Kalendar May 31 – Scout Pack 645 Rain Gutter Regatta Jun. 13 - Guest Speakers: Kevin & Matt Kamper, East Meadow Aktion Club June 22 - A Few Good Men. Moose Lodge Jun. 28 - Amityville Golf Outing. Cedar Beach, Babylon July 11 - Guest Speaker: Brenda Johnson, Past Distinguished Lt. Governor and Candidate for 2019-2020 New York District Governor Elect Jul. 13 - KPTC Night at the Races. Moose Lodge, Lindenhurst Happy Birthday - George Bryant, May 11. Garry Biggs, May 22. Larry Wolf, May 27
Volume 2, Issue4
Page 3
Lindenhurst Community Cares and empower our youth coalition to create the environment they need to The Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst invited one our com- reach their highest potential. munity’s most caring partners Two Lindenhurst moms formed this for children’s causes to its group in 2013 following the death of a April 4th meeting. The Lin16 year-old student from a drug overdenhurst Community Cares dose. Through networking and formCoalition ing relationships with all stakeholders from the community, a coalition was seeks to reduce the use of formed vowing to take action to predrugs and alcohol by youth. Led by students in our middle vent this kind of tragedy from reoccurring. The Coalition (also known as and high schools and guided by adults, it engages communi- Lindy Cares) works closely with other ty members to implement en- community-based organizations, as well as school officials, parents, stuvironmental strategies that dents, and local government officials reduce access to substances By: Paula M. Vidal
to create and implement programs that will help all members of our community address underage drinking and substance abuse. Key Club members Gozde Bayraktar and Patrick Lopez, also board members of Lindy Cares, spoke at our meeting about the challenges facing their peers such as vaping, drug abuse and underage drinking. Our club looks forward to a continued partnership with Lindy Cares to support, protect and guide the young people of our community.
Country Music Party III By: Ralph A. Somma
Our third Country Music Party was another great success. Friends of the Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst from near and far joined us in a night of country music and line dancing to help raise money for our scholarship funds. Lindenhurst’s own gifted country music duo, Eugene Coughlin and Robert Buffoli-
no – who comprise the band UnWined –filled the halls at Firemen’s Park Pavilion with
All the while, Marilyn Balkam and Dee Granz Sharkey led partygoers in a fun-filled night of line dancing. Many great prizes were raffled off including baskets of cheer, gift certificates from local restaurants, and a beautiful china table set.
the sweet sounds of country, classic and southern rock.
We’ll be planning our next party soon so keep an eye out for it.
Lindenhurst Kiwanis Food Drive By: Ralph A. Somma
On April 27 we hosted our second food drive of the year; this time at King Kullen in Lindenhurst. With the help of our Lindenhurst High School Key Club, we were able to fill six shopping carts of food items to benefit the food pantry of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a church in our community. We all need to pitch in to eliminate hunger in our communi-
ty. Incredibly, there are over 316,000 Long Islanders who are hungry; of that, over 90,000 are children! Considering the abundance of food items on the store shelves, this cannot be allowed to continue. Organizations report that food banks are lowest in summer months when children are home from school and our thoughts turn to summer fun, so we will be stepping up our
efforts by holding monthly drives. Our next one is scheduled for early June, so please be on the lookout for these. Any donation, large or small helps. Hope to see you there!
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.
Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst, N.Y., Inc. Serving the Children of the World PO Box 406 Lindenhurst, NY 11757 Phone: 631-388-7891 Fax: 631-587-1760 Email: lindenhurstkiwanis@gmail.com www.lindenhurstkiwanis.org
Since its original charter on April 5, 1950, the Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst has proudly served the children of its community and the world through the dedication and sacrifice of its members and supporters. Thank you for helping us continue the mission of Kiwanis. For more information about Kiwanis or our club, please do not hesitate to contact us or be a guest at our next meeting. We’d love to have you! We meet at 6:30 PM on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Thursday at Goccia D’oro Restaurant 118 S. Wellwood Ave. Lindenhurst
Member Profile: Mark Dawson By: Paula M. Vidal
This month we are featuring one of our longest serving members who handles matters very much behind the scenes and prefers it that way. Mark Dawson has been keeping our finances in order, keeping a watchful eye on our Foundation account and Scholarship fund for nearly 40 years. Mark joined the club in 1980, served as president from 19861987, and held the positions of secretary and treasurer. Born in Freeport, NY, Mark graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Economics but returned to school while working full time and raising a family to earn credits towards his Certified Professional Accounting certification.
He has maintained his accounting practice in Lindenhurst. Mark and his wife, Leslie, live in West Islip, NY. His daughter, Sarah, teaches in the North Babylon school district. Mark received the Legion of Honor award when he celebrated 35 years as a member and sees the need for community service in the future greater than when he first joined. “There are still children living in poverty in our area and this shouldn’t happen,” he laments. “The Kiwanis Club is able to provide scholarships, holiday cheer at our Christmas breakfast, time away at Kamp Kiwanis, and much other support, thanks to the camaraderie and fellowship of its members,” he added. We are grateful to have Mark as one of our longest serving members!