Kiwanis golf equipment go the torch | Herald Group Newspapers

The Lengthy Island Southwest Kiwanis Division held its annual passing of the banner on Sept. 22, because the Kiwanis residence banner modified fingers from the Oceanside Kiwanis Membership to the 5 Cities membership. Seth Blau, of Oceanside Kiwanis, is the outgoing division lieutenant governor, and David Vines, of 5 City Kiwanis, is the incoming designee.

Ralph DeSena, of Lynbrook Kiwanis, was acknowledged by the division because the winner of the 2022 Teddy Papatsos award.

Blau had an unconventional begin as lieutenant governor two years in the past, through the coronavirus pandemic. What ought to have been solely a regular one-year time period became two, owing to the circumstances. Over that point, nevertheless, Blau has efficiently raised funds for quite a few scholarships and awards, deliberate group occasions and lent a serving to hand not solely to the Oceanside membership but in addition to the Lengthy Island Southwest Division as a complete.

In a speech addressing the division on the ceremony at Frank’s Steaks in Rockville Centre, Blau instructed the members of quite a lot of space golf equipment that “Anybody can do what we do, however they don’t. We’re those which can be truly doing it. We’re those volunteering our time, volunteering our cash. We donate our sources.”

Describing the golf equipment’ boots-on-the-ground operation, Blau added, “We truly exit and do issues that most individuals don’t do, and don’t even take into consideration doing. We do it simply to enhance the lives of kids in our communities, and it’s fairly outstanding.”

Oceanside Kiwanian Michael D’Ambrosio mentioned that the principle aim of the membership helps youngsters. “It’s all the time been an emphasis on the youngsters, to assist the youngsters,” he mentioned. “That’s the place the Key Membership, the Builders Membership comes about, with all of the totally different elementary faculties, center and excessive faculties, and the universities even have golf equipment.”

D’Ambrosio added that Oceanside Kiwanis was happy with the work Blau has performed for the group and the group. “It’s an honor to have anyone from your own home membership come out and be lieutenant governor,” he mentioned.

D’Ambrosio and Blau are each Ocean-side Board of Schooling trustees as properly, they usually see the direct impression of Kiwanis’s work on college students. “We see it frequently,” Blau mentioned. “We offer by elevating funds — the scholarships, particularly, as a result of college students which can be worthy of it, a few of them are college students who’re very lively in our Key Membership.”

Wanting again on his two years as lieutenant governor, Blau mentioned that serving to numerous youngsters in class and elsewhere — donating to the Pediatric Trauma Heart Basis or the Pediatric Lyme Illness Basis — is one thing he and the group are happy with. “We take nice pleasure — it’s an important a part of what we do,” he mentioned. “It’s an important feeling.”

Blau mentioned he was happy to maintain the “division vibrant and shifting ahead regardless of all the pieces that we needed to undergo the final two years.”

Assemblywoman Judy Griffin offered citations to Blau, Vines and DeSena for his or her dedication to serving to the subsequent technology. Griffin wrote on Fb of the occasion, “The work of Kiwanis on numerous group initiatives, however particularly for pediatric look after our most weak youngsters and their households, is so inspiring . . . Your collaborative method has resulted in unbelievable accomplishments. Thanks on your years of dedication to the group.”