Wantagh Kiwanis marks a successful year

The Wantagh Kiwanis Club had a fruitful year. The club secured a grant to assist in the construction of new playground at the Mandalay Elementary School, sent three children to Kamp Kiwanis, and sponsored the creation of a new Kiwanis chapter in Seaford.

Those efforts, and the people who led them, were recognized on Oct. 30 at the Kiwanis Club’s installation dinner at the Riviera in Massapequa.

Heidi Felix began her second year as president. William Moseley was sworn in as secretary, and Kevin Gorman was installed as treasurer. New and returning board members included Roxanne Burke, Arlene Drucker, Floyd Earl, Kathy Eisman, Neal Friedman, Virginia Lane, Patrick Reilly, Debbie Tota and John Turtora.

Felix and fellow Kiwanis leaders were able to attain a $10,000 grant for the new playground at Mandalay Elementary School. Superintendent Maureen Goldberg, a Kiwanian herself, and Board of Education President Anthony Greco presented the club with a plaque in recognition of its contribution. The money was secured through the Kiwanis International Foundation.

“It’s clubs like this that make Wantagh a great town to live in,” Greco said.

Over the past year, Kiwanis and the Wantagh High School Key Club have been partners for two blood drives and a food drive. Kiwanis has worked with the John Theissen Foundation for a toy drive, and with the Chamber of Commerce for the holiday tree-lighting ceremony.

In the coming year, Felix said she wants to continue to grow its partnership with the Key Club, as well as establish a K Club at the elementary level, and a Builders Club at the middle school. “We’re trying to build leaders of the future,” she said.

Felix said that up until a few years ago, it looked like the Wantagh Kiwanis chapter was dying out. But under her leadership and previous President Christopher Brown, it has grown to 55 members, an accomplishment Felix said she is proud of. It even sponsored the creation of a Seaford Kiwanis Club earlier this year. Steven Katz, president of the Seaford chapter, was on hand along with leaders from Kiwanis clubs in Franklin Square, Garden City, Levittown and East Meadow.

At last week’s dinner, Tota received the Kiwanian of the Year award. Burke was honored for securing funds that sent children to Kamp Kiwanis, a summer youth program. Felix received an award from the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center for her chapter’s dedication to serving children in the community.

Upcoming events for Kiwanis include a food drive this month, working with the Key Club to make blankets for children in hospitals, and sending packages to troops overseas in February.