Merrick Kiwanis Club Gets Ready to Spring into Action

The work of the Merrick Kiwanis Club never ends and the arrival of Spring brings more opportunity for the organization to do what they've always done: help the community.

The results of its annual holiday gift wrapping fundraiser at Roosevelt Field are in, and it all adds up to big bucks for worthy causes.

"We raised a substantial amount of money which we will use for scholarships and needy families in our community," Arlene Gregory, Kiwanis president, said at the monthly meeting on Tuesday.

The fundraising continues with the Kiwanis food drive, as members will spend the rest of the month collecting donations at area supermarket, and distributing them to those in need in April. 

April 27 will be guest bartender night at Brooks & Porter. Members will try their hand in mixology, with all tips going to support the club. 

The club has already raised more than $7,000 with its Mets raffle.  The grand prize: season tickets to the Mets for 2011. A limited amount of raffle tickets remain, and the drawing will be held at RS Jones on April 4. People can buy a share of the potential grand prize that night for as little as $10. 

Two new members were inducted at the meeting.  Merokians Robert Dujardin and Robert Kroll joined the ranks of the Kiwanis. For Kroll it's a homecoming, as he begins his second stint in the club.

"I felt that service is an important part of your life," Kroll said.  "It's not just what you get, it's what you give."

The Kiwanis' efforts will soon be felt around the world. The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has propelled the club into action, as the national office will soon be letting chapters know how they can assist in the relief efforts overseas.

"We will soon have an opportunity to give back globally, which makes us realize our [Kiwanis] roots run a lot deeper than Merrick," said Doug Mills, a board member.

In other Kiwanis news:

• The Kiwanis One Day project will be held April 2 at Fundamental Sports Training Center in Westbury. Kids will receive a free soccer clinic. The event is held in conjunction with the Let All the Children Play Foundation, which makes sports accessible to those in need.
• Student recognition night is April 12 at Borrelli's restaurant in East Meadow. One deserving student from Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham will be honored.
• The Kiwanis Eliminate project is ongoing, with donations going to help rid third world countries of neo-natal tetanus.
• The Bingo and Baskets fundraiser to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Center will be held April 8 at the East Meadow firehouse.
• The Kiwanis memorial breakfast will be May 1 at Hofstra, honoring Kiwanis members who have died in the last year.

The next Kiwanis meeting is April 4 at 7 p.m. at Borelli's in East Meadow.