Citizen of the Year: Helping Just Something 'I Should Do'

At the age of 10, Dan "Desi" Lanio's future was uncertain, as he found himself in a Cuban orphanage for one very difficult year as his parents worked to escape to America.

Lanio, now the owner of Hampton's , said he owes everything to many "complete strangers" that came to his assistance during that year and in the years that followed.

That generosity made a prominent impression on the young Lanio, which is why he said he's dedicated his life since to helping others around him — an effort well quantified by the fact that Lanio was named the 2012 recipient of the Hampton Rotary Club Citizen of the Year award Tuesday night.

"It’s my turn to return and to give to others like others gave to me when I was a kid," said Lanio, reflecting on why he volunteers and works to better the Hampton community. "I’m just being myself. I don’t see big deal about [needing to be Citizen of the Year], but obviously I've touched other people. I just ask people to come together to go forward because we surely need it."

Rotarians bestowed the honor upon Lanio Tuesday night during a special ceremony — a ceremony Lanio said he didn't expect was coming and didn't necessarily want to come.

Lanio was grateful for the distinction, although he said never seeks recognition for all of his various efforts, which include helping with , supporting area law enforcement and military personnel, holding frequent fundraisers for residents in need like Myla Gott, basing his business around the idea that the beach and downtown should be one, opening his business to any and all local and national election candidates to help inform local residents, and .

"I’m humbled by the award, but I just don’t see it," said Lanio, adding he hopes his award will inspire others to subscribe to the rotary's "service above self" way of life. "To me it just feels weird that I’m getting recognized for something that I enjoy doing and that I should do."

State Rep. Fred Rice, R-Hampton, said he had Lanio in mind for the award long before his submitted a formal nomination for the "tremendous," "generous" and "amazing" man.

Rice said Lanio has "done more to bring people together in town" than any board, committee, community organization or business in recent memory because Lanio and his "melting pot" of a restaurant are "generous to a fault" and always "bend over backwards to help other people."

"It’s pretty obvious that he has been the sparkplug of the town of Hampton for the last year or more," said Rice. "He puts everybody else in front of himself... He is just the epitome of knowing, 'If you pay it forward, it’ll come back to you.' He doesn’t have that in his mind, though. He just does it because it’s the right thing to do.

"It seems as though he's there to not be a profitable business, but there to be a social center to bring people together. It just so happens that the result of that makes him a successful businessman."

Follow Hampton-North Hampton Patch on our Facebook page, Twitter feed, and daily newsletter.