Community Corner

Mineola Village Board Honors World Record Kicker (VIDEO)

Resident Craig Pinto receives proclamation from village board.

“Many of you probably read about his feats, literally, on the football field,” Mineola said, playing on words as he introduced resident during the public portion of a meeting of the on January 18 at the .

Pinto had recently completed a 24-hour marathon field goal kicking-session this past October, putting at a field in Oyster Bay to get into the Guinness Book of World records and to raise funds and awareness for Celiac disease, a condition from which he suffers that interferes with the absorption of food.

“We appreciate your efforts on raising awareness for that disease,” Strauss said. “A lot of times many illnesses go unnoticed until somebody brings it to light.”

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The board presented him with a proclamation that “acknowledges his efforts on behalf of those who have Celiac,” the mayor said, adding that “it’s always good to see Mineola residents do good things and get an acknowledgment.”

Pinto, who is also the founder and executive director of the Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation, a nonprofit which seeks to raise awareness about the disease, attended the event with radio personality and Kicking 4 Celiac staff member Harlan Friedman as well as his father, Louis Pinto, a self-professed Giants fans who held each of the 1,000 footballs that his son kicked for his , even though his son rooted for the 49ers.

Find out what's happening in Mineolawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“His dad is one of the, speaking as a soccer coach, one of the greats of the soccer program going back to the early seventies,” Mineola Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira said of Pinto’s father, adding with a smile that “it’s too bad that Craig chose the wrong , but what are you going to do? Maybe he was confused. Congratulations.”


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