Seaford Kiwanis marks first year

The revitalized Seaford Kiwanis Club has reached its first major milestone — it is officially a year old.

After a hiatus, the service organization was brought back last year and is about 30 members strong. An officer installation and first anniversary celebration dinner was held on Oct. 22 at B.K. Sweeney’s. Joining the officers and members were State Sen. Michael Venditto, as well as representatives from Kiwanis Clubs in Wantagh, Bethpage and East Farmingdale.

“It’s gone very well,” President Steve Katz said of the club’s first year. “We’re very happy with the progress that the club has made.”

Katz, of Edward Jones Financial on Merrick Road, began his second year at the helm. Other officers are Vice President Anthony Curcio, Secretary Ann Torcivia and Treasurer Peter Wass.

The club’s major upcoming initiative will be Seaford Santa. Kiwanis is seeking letters from children in need, including those from local families affected by Hurricane Sandy. Members of Kiwanis and local residents will then fulfill a gift request.

“We just make sure that every single letter is answered,” Katz said. “You can’t disappoint a child during the holiday season.”

The letters will go to Kiwanis’s post office box, and brought to Katz’s office. He said that once letters come in, anyone is welcome to drop by his office, sort through them and fulfill a child’s wish.

“We like to say, ‘Open a letter, it will open your heart,’” he said.

The club is also looking to provide a pediatric trauma kit to the Seaford Fire Department. The kit would include infant- and child-sized equipment that could be used in an emergency. A $1,000 donation to the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center at Cohen Children’s Medical Center would secure a kit for the community, which would also include a teddy bear to comfort a child during their time of need. “You hope you never have to use it,” Torcivia said of the trauma kit.

Seaford Kiwanis and the Pediatric Trauma Center hosted Sparky the Dog, a fire safety mascot who appeared at the Fire Department’s open house earlier this month.