Thursday, October 15, 2026
The East Meadow Kiwanis Club will gather Oct. 29 at Jonathan’s in Garden City for its 75th annual installation dinner, welcoming new board members and looking ahead to another year of service to local children, families and the broader community.
While the club’s formal 75th anniversary celebration is planned for May, the annual installation dinner will recognize its continuing leadership and the members who help sustain its community programs.
Donna Goldstein, who will serve 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 will welcome 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 will 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, are completing three-year terms but will remain involved with Kiwanis, Goldstein said.
The club’s executive leadership will otherwise continue, with Goldstein 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.
Bethpage Central Park Kiwanis Club Long Island South Central Division Lieutenant Governor, Joanne Foley, will conduct the installation of officers.
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, helping introduce 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, the 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 Kiwanis club is considered an Impact Club for the Kiwanis Children's Fund, Kamper said.
The club contributes to several other foundations and programs, including the New York District Kiwanis Foundation, which provides camp scholarships for children to attend Kamp Kiwanis in Taberg, New York, at no cost to their families.
Kiwanis East Meadow also supports the Kiwanis Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation, pediatric trauma efforts at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
The club also hosts the annual Frank Sacarino Memorial Thanksgiving Dinner for local seniors and members of the military. This year’s dinner is scheduled for Nov. 22 at East Meadow High School, continuing a tradition that Kamper said has lasted more than three decades.
The work begins well before the dinner itself. On Nov. 14 and 15, club members will collect nonperishable food donations during a food drive at ShopRite in Uniondale. Members will then work alongside students from Key Clubs, Builders Clubs and K-Kids to assemble food baskets for local families in need.
The baskets will include Thanksgiving staples, along with ShopRite gift certificates to help families purchase additional groceries.
Beyond its annual fundraisers and holiday programs, the club is also 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 the pressures they may experience at school and online.
As the organization approaches its formal 75th anniversary celebration in May, Goldstein hopes to build on that 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.
She 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.
