Saturday, November 14, 2026
For 75 years, the Kiwanis Club of East Meadow has built its legacy on service, community and a shared commitment to helping others. That tradition continued Oct. 29, when members gathered at Jonathan’s in Garden City for the club’s annual installation dinner, welcoming new leadership and celebrating the people who have helped sustain its mission for generations.
While the club’s formal 75th anniversary celebration is planned for May, the annual installation dinner recognized its continuing leadership and the members who help sustain its community programs.
Donna Goldstein, who was installed as club president for another year, said the organization’s longevity comes down to its members and their shared commitment to service.
“We have great members who embody Kiwanis,” Goldstein said.
During the installation, the club welcomed three new board members: Stephen LaSala, commissioner of the East Meadow Baseball Softball Association; Joseph Parisi, a distinguished past president who also serves as president of the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations; and Pastor Dan Olson of New Hope Church in Westbury.
Goldstein said the new board members would bring different perspectives to the organization as it continues its work throughout the community.
Three outgoing board members, Rosa Principato, Sharan Sohkey and Tracy Rudd, completed their three-year terms but will remain involved with Kiwanis, Goldstein said.
The club’s executive leadership will remain unchanged through next year, with Goldstein serving another year as president, Alba Dougherty as president-elect, Matt Kamper as secretary, Brian O’Flaherty as treasurer and distinguished past president, and Melody Schiller as distinguished immediate past president.
Kevin Kamper, a Kiwanis member for 15 years who is often referred to as the club’s unofficial historian, said the club’s work extends well beyond its annual events. Through its service leadership programs, Kiwanis sponsors student organizations at every level of the East Meadow School District, introducing young people to community service.
The club supports Key Clubs at East Meadow and W.T. Clarke high schools, Builders Clubs at Clarke and Woodland middle schools, and K-Kids chapters at every elementary school in the district.
“We're there to serve a need, especially involving our children,” Kamper said. “I always like to use the acronym, ‘Kiwanis Is Where A Need Is Served,’”.
One of the club’s largest annual fundraisers is the Steven J. Eisman Memorial Golf Outing, held each August at Eisenhower Park. Named in memory of a former club president, the event raises money for the Kiwanis foundation, which supports the organization’s charitable programs.
Chaired by Tom Gallagher and Mike Litzner, owners of Coldwell Banker American Homes in East Meadow, this year’s outing raised approximately $34,000, Kamper said. The proceeds help fund scholarships, youth programs and support for children and families facing medical challenges.
Among the initiatives supported by the club is the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, a worldwide fundraising effort focused on children’s nutrition, literacy and leadership development. The East Meadow club is considered an Impact Club for the fund, Kamper said.
The club also contributes to the New York District Kiwanis Foundation, which provides scholarships for children to attend Kamp Kiwanis in Taberg, New York, at no cost to their families, as well as the Kiwanis Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation and pediatric trauma efforts at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
Beyond its annual fundraisers and holiday programs, the club is working with local schools to address children’s emotional well-being. Kamper said Kiwanis has funded a calming center at Barnum Woods Elementary School, with another planned for W.T. Clarke Middle School. The spaces are intended to give students a quiet place to decompress amid pressures they may experience at school and online.
As the organization approaches its formal 75th anniversary celebration in May, Goldstein hopes to build on its legacy by attracting younger members who want to continue its traditions and participate in future projects.
“I am hoping that it continues to grow, that our club gets more younger members looking to carry on people who believe in, you know, what we do,” she said.
Goldstein encouraged East Meadow residents to attend meetings, learn more about the organization and consider volunteering with its programs.
For Goldstein, the club’s impact extends beyond its events and fundraising efforts. She described Kiwanis as a close-knit group whose members support one another both inside and outside the organization.
“It is a true family,” she said.
As East Meadow Kiwanis looks toward the future, Goldstein said she hopes the organization will continue helping children, strengthening the community and welcoming new members who share its commitment to service.
