Kiwanis Club of County Seat Makes a Difference in Children's Lives

held its weekly breakfast meeting at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Williston Park Monday morning as guest speaker Jerry Olsen, Commissioner of Parks for the Town of North Hempstead, updated members on projects throughout the parks system, in particular, touting the success of in Port Washington.

"It is one of the finest golf courses on the Island," Olsen said, noting that tens of thousands of rounds of golf are played there each year. Harbor Links is a popular facility for weddings, parties and other functions, including Thanksgiving dinner, Olsen added.

Olsen is retiring from the Town of North Hempstead this month after 40 years of service. While Olsen is stepping down, 30-year Kiwanis member Edgar Schutz is stepping into the president's role of the organization, which is part of Kiwanis International. "Kiwanis is the only organization n," Schutz said. "We do a lot of fun things."

The Kiwanis Club of County Seat, which began in 1977, holds events throughout the year to raise money for worthy organizations such as 's Pediatric Care.

Its biggest cause each year is Kamp Kiwanis, where the organization raises money to send less fortunate children to a one-week summer camp free of charge. It costs roughly $600 per child to attend the camp and the Kiwanis pays for 10 children to attend the August camp.

The County Seat branch also sponsors Youth Day at in Mineola each summer. The campers from the village of Mineola's recreation program participate in various fun events and are treated to a complimentary barbecue.

The Kiwanis Club of County Seat is currently working on food drives for the upcoming holiday season and also to raise money for the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), which operates 19 soup kitchens and feeds 5,500 people each week.

INN Board President Maureen Nappi is scheduled to speak at the Kiwanis breakfast meeting on Dec. 6 at IHOP.

Next Monday, the Kiwanis Club will hold its breakfast meeting at in Huntington, as guests of owner Gary Melius. Melius attended a recent Kiwanis breakfast, made a generous donation, and invited members to his famous 23-acre property, which has been the venue of celebrity weddings and events.

For information on Kiwanis Club of County Seat, contact president Edgar Schutz at 516-742-4479, or visit the organization's Facebook page.