The New Year of 2013 has begun. It comes with promise and possibility -- and for us in Kiwanis -- it comes with participation in the EliMiNaTe Project. Since I last wrote this column in October, we have received two major gifts of $25,000 each and two new Model Clubs have formed in Sayville and Patchogue. We have also been blessed with a gift of $50,000 from the trust of a gentleman who recently passed away. Our SLP's continue to inspire us with all they are doing for EliMiNaTe. I wish we could all plug into their enthusiasm for the Project!
These are some of the larger gifts that we have received. But there are many touching stories as well that I do not want to go unnoticed nor unmentioned. I was at a club meeting and after my talk, members of the club began bringing donations up to the club coordinator. One gentleman said that his family has been so blessed that he wished to do something in response. He wrote a check for $180 to protect 100 mothers and their babies. As other people were placing their donations, I noticed a woman opening her handbag and looking through her wallet. This she did several times. Finally she took two one dollar bills out of her wallet, and placed them with the other donations. Tears came to my eyes as I saw these two gestures of generosity, and the memory has remained with me ever since. The $180 check and the two one dollar bills (as well as everything else in between) represented gifts from the hearts of those who gave.
Few of us can donate a major gift; more of us -- but certainly not all of us -- can contribute a Zeller. But we all can do something, This past October neighborhoods in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk were severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The New York District came together (as we always do) as a family to help those who lost their homes, cars, and personal possessions. It will take these folks a long time to settle back into their homes and resume their lives. Can those of us who were not so severely affected by this super storm now work a little harder for EliMiNaTe in their stead?
The area in which we need to concentrate is obtaining a Club Coordinator for each of our clubs. This is our biggest challenge. Only 19 percent of our clubs are listed as having someone serve in this position. Yet I am sure that many clubs have someone functioning as a club coordinator, perhaps with a different title. We need a point person in each club, especially as we go forward. Please contact me if you are not sure as to whether or not your club has a club coordinator officially registered.
I realize that a great deal is being asked of us, but we can do it-after all, we are the New York District, the land of Excelsior!
Column Posted on Web Site January 22, 2013
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