Past Governor

Forty-five thousand miles in 365 days -- and it was worth every moment.
Thank you all for the help and support during my year as governor of the New York District of Kiwanis. I have enjoyed every event, meeting, fundraiser, reception and service project that I attended. The most rewarding part was making new friends, seeing old friends and coming together to serve the children of New York.
The 2016-17 Kiwanis International President Jane Erickson challenged my class of governors with leaving a positive handprint on our communities. I was fortunate to see the many positive handprints left by our club members from Long Island to Rochester, from Albany to Syracuse and everywhere in between. We are making a difference -- leaving our positive handprints on communities where people rely on Kiwanis to pick up the slack when programs are cut in cities, towns, schools and libraries. Communities turn to Kiwanis for help with books, backpacks, clothes and shoes, holiday gifts, food, scholarships, camp -- everything a kid needs to thrive, prosper and grow. We don't stop there. We help those who need it because we care.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to distribute Pediatric Trauma Kits, for helping kids get to spend a week at Kamp Kiwanis and for helping the Pediatric Lyme Foundation support youth who are suffering. Thank you for holding poetry nights, parades and pancake breakfasts to raise the money needed to get things done.
I hope you will continue our efforts to build more clubs, invite more friends and family to join a service project, come to a meeting, help with an event or work with a club that is supporting an Aktion Club, a Key Club or any of the other valuable youth programs.
And I hope you will support Governor Candace Corsaro and her team during the coming Kiwanis year. Now is the time to work together to support our leaders, club members, youth who depend on us and community members who have come to rely on our help. I'm proud to say we've gained nearly 550 new members this year, more people who can work with us to leave positive handprints on communities around our state.
Thank you for your service to Kiwanis! And thank you for your support this year.

Column Posted on Web Site October 31, 2017