Coughlin Community Service Awards Honor Those Making A Difference

LARCHMONT-MAMARONECK — The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Lions celebrated a century of service by honoring those who are giving back to the community.

The Coughlin Community Service Awards gala was a fitting time and place to unveil The L-M Lions' new motto "Better Together." Those on hand for the awards ceremony celebrated the group's centennial year and the annual "Points of Light" recognition of outstanding community service.

Sunday's event was held at the Orienta Beach Club in Mamaroneck.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer was the keynote speaker. The event also drew state and local civic leaders, international and local Lions leaders, and leaders of the many service groups being honored at the event.

The centerpiece was the awarding of the Lions Jack Coughlin Community Service Awards to Kate Bialo and the Washingtonville Housing Alliance. The award, named in memory of long-time Lion and founder of Coughlin Insurance, Jack Coughlin, recognizes a group and an individual for outstanding and dedicated service to the community.

The Lions also awarded the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award to Sedona’s Bill Jablonski for his personal support of the Lions and Sedona’s "Dine Out For Charity" donations to groups serving the needs of the community.

The evening recognized many of the groups and ordinary people who today serve the community, includingAlzheimer's Association, At Home on the Sound, Cancer Support Team, Carver Center, Coalition for Community, Community Counseling Services, CRC, CURE, Friends of Karen Friends of the Family, Fuller Center, Furniture Sharehouse, Girl Scouts, Grassroots Grocery, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, KidsSight Vision Screenings, Junior League of Westchester, Larchmont Chamber of Commerce, Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force, Larchmont Mamaroneck Summit, Larchmont Newcomers Club, Larchmont Rotary, Larchmont Women's Club, LM Pollinator Pathways, LMC Media, Local Schools, Mamaroneck Chamber of Commerce, Mamaroneck Elks, Neighbors for Refugees, Pediatric Cancer Foundation, PEO(Philanthropic Education Org), Salvation Army, Sharing Shelf, Sheldrake Environmental Center, STEM, VHP (Volunteer Health Program), Visions VCB, and Washingtonville Housing Alliance.

The Points of Light celebration of community service is the primary fundraiser for the Larchmont Mamaroneck Lions Foundation — the 501c3 financial resource at the center of LM Lions support of many of these service groups. The foundation grows donated funds as seed money, to attract matching grants and other partnerships to deliver more support for local and Lions service. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.