Friday, May 23, 2025
The Kiwanis Club of Malverne celebrated their 4-year anniversary at San-Dee Lanes on Mar. 25. Attendees enjoyed two hours of bowling and karaoke hosted by DJ Alex Castro.
President Eliza Tom reinstated the club in 2021, after several years of inactivity. She was motivated to create the club while trying to find more activities for her son during the pandemic.
“I was trying to find something for him to do, but I was told that they need a sponsor of an adult club first,” said Tom. “So we started an adult club, and at that point my son had already graduated, but I decided that it was something that was needed in the community.”
The club is a local chapter of Kiwanis International, a service organization dedicated to improving the world one community at a time. They have different organizational levels to engage with their communities, Kiwanis for adults, Circle K at the collegiate level, Key Club for high schoolers, Builders Club for middle school students, and K-Kids at the elementary level.
“If we start them young with the concept of service, thinking of others, and doing things for others,” said Tom. “Then they’ll grow up that way, and have a different mindset, and be doing things for the world and in their communities.”
The club works on a range of projects in the community and beyond, partaking in initiatives from Kiwanis International and assisting Bellmore’s Kiwanis Club with their Thanksgiving project delivering meals to thousands of Long Islander’s. They’ve held community clean up’s, clothing drives, and recently hosted an emergency preparedness course at the library.
Tom said, “it’s hard to believe” that its been four years. “We do what we can, different things, and we try to support the local community.”
They’ve established a Key Club, but Tom would like to expand Kiwanis in the middle, intermediary and elementary schools. “This way students understand that you don’t have to be an adult to help out the community,” she said. “They can do something, there are different ways to help out.”
To join Kiwanis Club or establish a school club, contact Tom at Eliza.Kiwanis@gmail.com
