District Foundation

Summer is finally here, what that means to us at the New York District Kiwanis Foundation, is only one thing, Kamp Kiwanis is now in session.

The Kamp once again is in ever better shape than last year thanks to the efforts of a great many people. You read it in this column all the time and it never gets old because if it weren't for the people that work and help Kamp Kiwanis, I don't know where this great jewel of the New York District would be.

What can I say about people like Anthony Merendino who along with Mike Siniski go up to the Kamp three to five times a year to work on a project that needs attention.

People like Vice President Joe Battista who could have bowed out after his cardiac problems last year and no one would have blamed him, but instead he got himself back to health and now once again makes frequent trips up to the Kamp when there is a need.

And most of all, new board member Herb Chan from the Metropolitan division not only makes frequent trips to the Kamp, more than I can tell you, but most times with truck loads of material either donated or purchased by him because we need to renovate some part of the Kamp.
How about Lt. Governor of the LISC division who put together a party of about 15 Kiwanians who came up on a weekend in early May and for two days they just worked to clean up the Kamp and get it ready for opening day.

There's many more Kiwanians who do similar things to help out and to all those Kiwanians I say "THANK YOU SO MUCH".

Now I want to tell you about another group of amazing Kiwanians. On June 25, 2013, I was invited to attend the East Meadow Kiwanis Club meeting. This club is a great supporter of our Kamp and I was very eager to go there and express my gratitude for all that they do for the Kamp.

Although the East meadow Kiwanians are amazing, they have in their midst an even greater group of amazing Kiwanians, I am referring to the Bowling Green K-Kids. This group of Kids entered an IKEA contest and won a $10,000 shopping spree in the IKEA store. They could have chosen to get anything in the store for themselves or their families, but instead they decided to shop for furniture for the newly built library at Kamp Kiwanis. That beautiful building, just built with a grant from the Queens West Kiwanis Foundation, now has brand new tables and chairs and other items purchased by the Bowling Green K-Kids. If that wasn't enough, they somehow talked IKEA into making an additional donation to the Kamp.

They presented me with the bill of sale which showed a no balance due and the IKEA representative presented me with a $1,000 check. How much better than that does it get? Oh yeah, they also presented me with a check for $555 to send a kid to Kamp. It took a while for me to lift my jaw back up.

A great deal of credit goes to Mickey Leamey who is the District Coordinator for K-Kids, Rich Santer from the East Meadow club who is also the school administrator for the K-Kids and of course the East Meadow club for sponsoring these amazing kids, but most importantly it's the K-Kids who really inspire all of us in to being a better person and a better citizen.

I for one was very proud that evening of being part of Kiwanis. I know that these children will grow to be productive members of society because Kiwanis was in their lives. On behalf of the members, directors and officers of the New York District Kiwanis Foundation I would like to give my heartfelt "Thank You" to the Bowling Green K-Kids, you really are amazing.
 

Column Posted on Web Site July 27, 2013