Governor

I would like to start off by thanking two individuals, Circe K Immediate Past Gov. Waala Ahmed and Key Club Immediate Past Gov. Hanna Nichols along with their Administrators John Keegan and John Goldstein. The efforts and leadership of these two extraordinary students was exemplary. The service hours, fund raising, commitment to service and community was outstanding. Every division, club, and Kiwanian were well served by their dedication to the Kiwanis Family. Please join Helene and I in wishing Waala great success in medical school and Hanna as she enters the freshman class of Syracuse University. These two institutions have no idea how fortunate they are.

Congratulations and best wishes to the new Circle K Gov. Jerry Cimo and Key Club Gov. Matt Garber. They are eager to help and serve. Please support them. Whether in your division or club, you will be amazed at their energy and enthusiasm.

Good Luck Governors we look forward to your year.

So we are 6 months in and we have to say it's gone by very quickly in a very productive and positive sense. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time to schedule Keith Cummings to come to your club/division for his presentation on Anti-Bullying. No child should go to school scared and afraid; no child should be tormented and picked on. Invite him out -– get your SLP's and let's all become upstanders, not bystanders. For anyone who doesn't know, Keith's niece Amanda was tormented to the point she threw herself in front of a New York City bus and was killed. Let's work together so no other parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, sibling, neighbor or friend ever has to go through that heartbreak.

The Massapequa Club in Long Island South Central has put together a wonderful pamphlet on prescription drugs and heroin. Invite them out. Bob Thompson and next year's Lt. Gov. Ted Hines or a representative of the club will come and do a great presentation on this scourge because if you don't think this is in your community, you're wrong. In Staten Island alone a young person is dying every 2 and a half days from a overdose. Three months ago three Kiwanians lost a loved one to overdose within four days of each other. Your club can and should be the voice of concern in your community.

I am proud to say we have had more than a thousand student athletes' hearts checked. If you haven't spoken to Lt. Gov. Jeanne Egan from Long Island North, contact her and hopefully she can work with your local hospital to get these cardiac screenings done in your community.

Have you done a fund raiser for KPTC or Emergency Disaster relief? Have you taken a bite out of Lyme for Pediatric Lyme Disease? How many kids are you sending to Kamp? These are our foundations and the heart of the New York District. If not us then who? Who will provide the Pediatric Trauma Kit? Who will provide for these children suffering with Lyme Disease? Who will give that child the best week of their lives when they go to Kamp Kiwanis?

This year let's fill every bed, every week at Kamp. This year have a Baby Shower for Helene's project "Warm Beginnings", so no child goes home with nothing; so that when someone asks you - What does Kiwanis do?  You can say very simply and eloquently  - We Change Lives and We Save Lives.

I couldn't be prouder to be your Governor.

Column Posted on Web Site April 29, 2016