District Foundation

The 2012-13 Kiwanis administrative year has come to a close and as I always do, I look back at what we've done and forward to where we're going.

Our year, as you may very well remember, started with a disaster and ended with wedding bells. I will explain.

Who can forget the wrath of Super Storm Sandy. It ravaged the eastern seacoast like no other storm has ever done. The many lives that were lost and the billions of dollars in damage that it cost made it the worst natural disaster that I have ever witnessed.

Thanks to Distinguished Past Gov. Mike Malark and the very generous donations that came in to our disaster relief fund from all over the country and all over the world, we were able to help so many victims of this disaster. I can't thank enough Kiwanians like the Canadian District, the Switzerland-Liechtenstein District, California-Nevada-Hawaii District, San Jose Club Foundation and many more.

I do have to tell you that the most heartwarming ones were the small checks that were sent in from Kiwanians in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area who sent notes with the check stating that they did not forget what the New York District Foundation did for them during Katrina.

Now I stated earlier that the year ended in wedding bells and that I would explain, well if you haven't heard yet, on Sept. 14 in a little town called Ferry Beach in Portland, Maine, our executive director, Rebecca Otilia Lopez and her longtime assistant, Luke Sean Clemence, decided that they had hidden their love for each other long enough and so they wedded. This was a shock to me and almost everyone else who knows them as the executive director and assistant director. That more than anything else exemplifies their professionalism in their job, never letting on of a more personal relationship. I'm sure I speak for every Kiwanian that knows Rebecca and Luke when I say that we couldn't be happier for the two of you and may you enjoy your life together for the rest of your lives.

In between the two events, there was a camping season, this year we had a total of 599 campers which is less than we would like but it is understandable given that clubs that usually are able to send many children to Kamp found it very difficult this year as a great deal of their resources were directed towards Sandy relief projects.

We certainly hope that we can get the number back up for next year because the more children that attend the more lives we can change for the better and the more great memories we can make for the children. On behalf of all of us at the New York District Foundation I would like to say thank you to all of the Kiwanians throughout the District who are always supporting our efforts to keep Kamp Kiwanis the best sleep-away camp in the country.

If you wish to help, there are many ways to help, contact me or anyone else on the Foundation board for more information. Have a great Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year and hopefully we'll see you on Kamp Opening Weekend.
 

Column Posted on Web Site November 10, 2013