These men are setting the example. Find out how.

The community was treated to a fun-filled day of games, snacks and music on June 3 during a special event to honor the men in Lakeview.

The Lakeview Civic Association hosted a family kickball event to pay homage to four men, in particular — Lorenzo Jenkins, Charles Nanton, Tyrell Wilson and Frederick Brewington — honoring them for going above and beyond as role models for the kids of Lakeview and Malverne. 

In a show of community togetherness, the Harold Walker Park Ball Field was packed with everyone from babies in strollers to grandparents cheering from the bleachers. People enjoyed a food truck, snacks and t-shirts, and when the kids were not kicking or chasing the ball, they were dancing to music from a DJ.

Aisha Demosthenes, co-founder of the Lakeview Civic Association, said the event was held to recognize the men in the community.

“We felt it was important to just pour into the men of Lakeview because, honestly, Black men get bad rep,” Demosthenes said. “So we wanted to make sure that our men here in Lakeview understand that they are loved, they are appreciated, and we see them and acknowledge them.

“And it's good for our young people to see it as well, so that they can aspire to that,” she added.

With the amount of time and dedication the four honorees have given to their community, local kids have much to aspire to, community officials said.

Nanton, 92, has been a leader in Lakeview since the 1970s. He co-founded the Lakeview Youth Association, was a volunteer coach at Malverne High School for 32 years, as well as a Nassau County Youth Board member. In 2011, he was named the Adult Volunteer of the Year by the U.S. Tennis Association Eastern Long Island. Upon accepting his award, Nanton recognized countless faces in the crowd — checking in on people’s grandmothers, brothers and sons. 

“I’m overwhelmed by this,” Nanton said as he received his plaque. “The thing that really strikes me deep in my heart is when I see activity like this in the community center like this. Y’all are in my heart and remain in my heart forever.”

Brewington, who was raised in Lakeview, now gives back as a lawyer whose distinguished career is dedicated to civil rights litigation, including protecting voter rights and fighting for those who have suffered police brutality.

“He’s an advocate for the underdog,” Angela Martin, Brewington’s friend, said. “He’s always working hard and looking to help someone.”

Brewington encouraged the crowd to remain active in the community, to reach out to their neighbors and rely on one another. 

“You strengthen yourself, heal yourself, you strengthen the history and the future that we’re going to have for each other,” Brewington said.

Jenkins has coached the Long Island Panthers for more than 30 years and has been a volunteer basketball coach for nearly as long. A father of four, Jenkins said he sees coaching as an opportunity to help children grow into young adults in a safe environment. He thanked the community, but said recognition is not why he spends his time guiding young people.

“The happiness and success of your children, the development of your children, is award enough,” Jenkins said. “All I need to know is that they’re healthy and in a safe place.”

Wilson, affectionately known as “Coach T,” was born and raised in Malverne. After college, he worked with at-risk youth and kids with special needs, eventually becoming coach of the Malverne Mules J.V. football team. In 2020, he founded the Lakeview/Malverne Lions football little league, where he coaches both the boys and girls. His dedication earned him the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Malverne School District.

“He instills his values in his teams,” Nicole Henderson, co-founder of the Lakeview Civic Association, said.

Her son is on Wilson’s team, and she’s witnessed his dedicated coaching style firsthand. “He promotes the team to move as one, to move as a family,” she said.

Wilson’s son, Tyrell “Ace” Wilson Jr., accepted the award on behalf of his father. Ace, who is in the fifth grade, said that his father taught him how to be a good person.

“I’ve learned discipline, patience, how to chill myself out when I’m mad,” he said. “I’ve learned my character.”

The children in the community appeared to have learned a lot from these four men. They cheered each other on throughout the kickball game — occasionally an older child would even forgo an out to let a younger child get on base. Demosthenes said that events like these highlight the character of Lakeview.

“We have community too, we have unity too, we have family events,” she said. “It’s a fun and safe community, and we just want to continue to promote that.”