Gregory Rinn, Lions Club honored by Village of Rockville Centre

An important organization and an active community resident were both recognized at the 32nd annual Mayor’s Golf Classic, held recently at Rockville Links Club in Rockville Centre. The Rockville Centre Lions Club was the honoree of the event and Gregory Rinn was the recipient of the 2019 Eugene J. Murray Outstanding Citizenship Award.

“The Lions Club has been instrumental in providing children in our village with all abilities the opportunity to play,” said Mayor Francis X. Murray.

The Lions Club International is the world’s largest service club organization, meeting the needs of local communities and the world every day because they share a core belief: to serve their community. With more than 1.3 million members in more than 45,000 clubs worldwide, the Lions Club consists of service-minded men and women who are interested in doing volunteer work to improve their communities.

According to Murray, the Rockville Centre Lions Club has played an integral part in the village with its “We Serve” motto. It sponsors the Challenger Baseball League, dedicated to providing developmentally and physically challenged athletes — paired with buddy volunteers — the opportunity to experience the game of baseball firsthand. It has also partnered with the community to raise over $300,000 towards the funding of the state-of-the art all-inclusive playground, named after longtime Recreation Superintendent Anthony Brunetta. The club’s efforts will provide children with all abilities the experience of play, while encouraging acceptance and promoting overall health and wellness.

During the evening, Murray presented Rinn with the 2019 Eugene J. Murray Outstanding Citizenship Award. Rinn served as Village of Rockville Centre Trustee from 2001-2005 and has served the community in a variety of capacities over the years. He served as a member and chairman of the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee from 1989 to 1997, vice president and secretary for the Friends of Senior Services, Inc. (FOSSI) from 2006 to the present, and a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Over the years, Rinn has encouraged participation in youth sports and has was a Rockville Centre soccer coach from 1977 to 1982, a past president and director of the Nassau County Track and Field Officials Association, and a volunteer for the Nassau County Special Olympics from 1992 to 2000. Rinn has also found time to give back to the St. Agnes Parish. He served as a Chairman of the Rockville Centre Diocese Bishops Annual Appeal, as well as a member of the Celebration Committee, Renovation Committee, and the Ministry of Consolation. 

Rinn served in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Flight Officer during the 1960s and has been a 23-year member of the American Legion Post 303. Always thinking of his fellow soldiers, Rinn has worked with the Disabled American Veterans and has been a volunteer driver for Nassau County residents to the VA Medical Center in Northport.

“His unwavering dedication to our community and beyond is extraordinary,” said Murray, “and has made him an obvious choice for the Eugene J. Murray Outstanding Citizenship Award.”