Oceanside Kiwanis celebrates 71 years

For 71 years the Oceanside Kiwanis Club has been serving the children and community of Oceanside. At its annual dinner the club, in turn, honors those who also serve and recognizes them for their contributions.

This year Kiwanis presented the Heart of Gold Award to George and Dorothy Whitbread. The couple became interested in scouting when their twin boys joined Cub Scout Pack 204 in 2005. George became Den Leader and Dorothy helped out. Then George became Cub Master and Dorothy became Pack Committee Chairperson. When the boys bridged to Boy Scouts George became an Assistant Scout Master with the troop, where he is still active. Dorothy remained Pack Committee Chair for 5 years and continues to be a Committee member. The Whitbreads are also troop leaders for their daughter’s Girl Scout Troop.

Oceanside secondary health education teacher Sara Dowler is the recipient of the Special Service Award. Dowler came to the Oceanside District in 2001.

She has managed several groups and clubs, established the GEM mentoring program, where senior girls mentor freshmen. Lately she has been working with the S.L.A.T.E project, which helps recovering substance abusers, and she along with co recipient Jeff Risener chairs the Oceanside Drug Advisory and Wellness Council.

Risener has worked in the Oceanside District for 18 years. He taught Physical Education at School 9E for 11 years. Risener is an author, having published “How to Raise Your Child in the World of Sports”. He is director and coach of St. Anthony’s Basketball Program, and active in the Oceanside Little League and Softball League.

The Kiwanis Club also recognized its outgoing president Thomas Cesiro III, as he vacates that office to assume the Lt. Governor’s position of the South West Division of the New York District. Seth Blau takes over as club president; Bill Kallinikos and Michael Graham are first and second vice presidents. Sarah Romanelli, a senior at Oceanside High School, sang “God Bless America”.