Kiwanis Club of Long Beach fundraiser supports student music programs

Kiwanis Club of Long Beach fundraiser supports student music programs

The Long Beach Kiwanis Club’s fifth annual Playing in the Pubs fundraiser brought musicians and nearly 200 attendees together to support music education for local students.

All the [Kiwanis] clubs do as best as we can to come support each other.”

Yolanda Robano-Gross, president, Five Towns Kiwanis Club

“I like to tell my students that what they’re learning in most of their major subjects — math, English, whatever — are useful tools,” explained Tom Clancy, a civics teacher at P.S. 229 Dyker in Brooklyn. “But what they would learn in a program like art or music is actually what makes life worth living. It’s why we get up in the morning.”

When Clancy isn’t in the classroom, he’s behind the drum set with The Katie Mitchell Band. Mitchell, a Long Beach resident, was one of six acts to perform on Sept. 20 during the fifth annual “Playing in the Pubs” fundraiser organized by the Kiwanis Club of Long Beach. The Kiwanis, musicians and nearly 200 attendees showed up at Bright Eye Beer Company for nearly seven straight hours of music, raffles and supportive spirit.

The Kiwanis Club uses money raised from the entrance fees, raffle prizes and 50/50 raffle to support young musicians throughout the Long Beach School District. With the Playing in the Pubs fundraiser, the Kiwianis Club of Long Beach has been able to assist dozens of Long Beach students each year.

“We give donations to The Doug Reneau Foundation at the middle school, which is for the music program,” explained Rosana Egan, secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Long Beach. “For the grammar school, we have an application process where the kids send us an application and we ask them why they like music.” The Kiwanis help to provide instrument rentals for local students, as well as helping to defer the cost of music lessons for students attending New York State School Music Association events. Throughout the day, live music was provided by a half-dozen artists — Dave Kellan, Face for Radio, Cat and Greg Parr, The Katie Mitchell Band, Evan Kuriga, and Qubed — each performing roughly an hour-long set.

“This money from this fundraiser goes to Long Beach. It’s their fundraiser,” said Yolanda Robano-Gross, president of the Five Town Kiwanis Club. “But all the clubs do as best as we can to come support each other.” The Kiwanis Southwest Division includes clubs from Baldwin, East Rockaway, Five Towns, Island Park, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Oceanside, Peninsula in Hewlett and Valley Stream.