Riverhead Kiwanis Club celebrates its stars
Yesterday morning, friends and family gathered at The Birchwood of Polish Town in Riverhead to celebrate the achievements of local volunteers at the 14th annual Kiwanis Club of Greater Riverhead Star Breakfast.
Each volunteer was presented with a proclamation from Suffolk County Legis. Al Krupski’s office, a proclamation from the Town of Riverhead, and a plaque and their own star from the Kiwanis Club. Additionally, each honoree had one or two people of their choice speak about them and the impact they’ve had on the community.
Below are the honorees:
- Peter and Darlene Faith, who are both elected officers with the Moose Lodge, a charitable fraternal organization. The couple has helped with numerous events, such as cake sales, dinner dances, the Riverhead Town Fair, and Caps of Love — a charity that turns in plastic caps for cash that is used to pay for wheelchairs and prosthetics for needy children.
- Betty Harris for her 35 years with the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Here she’s described as someone who is always ready and available to answer a call, even late at night with curlers in her hair at times, and as someone who knows everyone in the community and is always willing to help.
- Robert Hartman Jr., the founder of Mainstream House Recovery Homes. Mr. Hartman, a former addict, now dedicates his life to helping others struggling with addiction to become sober.
- Herb Strobel for his involvement with Hallockville Museum Farm, a nonprofit organization that helps reconnect the community to its agricultural background. Here, Mr. Strobel maintains the farms, gives tours and teaches classes and workshops.
- Felecia Wilson for her work with Riverhead’s youth. This includes giving speeches to elementary school students about having confidence and finding success, participating in Big Brothers, Big Sisters and being on the board of the Riverhead Community Awareness Program and the Family Community Life Center at First Baptist Church in Riverhead.
- The Riverhead Central School District Teachers Aides, who each work with an individual student that needs extra assistance in the classroom, often a student with a learning or physical disability, for the entire school year.
Photo Caption: The honorees at Saturday’s Star Breakfast. (Credit: Nicole Smith)
