Civic group Liberty Kiwanis hosts 2019 annual golf outing

DYKER HEIGHTS — Every year, Salvatore Gigenti, Liberty Kiwanis Club member and senior broker for Ben Bay Realty Company, hosts a golf outing at Dyker Beach Golf Club. This year’s event, held on Tuesday, Oct. 8, had over 160 attendees and honored three members of the Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights community.

Kiwanis clubs focus on changing the world by serving children, one child and one community at a time.

There are Kiwanis clubs in 80 nations that each help their communities in countless ways. Since each community’s needs are different, each Kiwanis club is different. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone.

Kiwanis club members undertake nearly 150,000 service projects and raise nearly $1 million every year for communities, families and projects.

This year’s event proved to be one of the local group’s most successful outings with all proceeds going to help support the club’s mission of helping disabled and disadvantaged children in the community. Liberty Kiwanis has worked tirelessly within its community for over 35 years. 

Players had lunch at noon, teeing off an hour later. Following an afternoon of golf, there was dinner reception at which Joe and Vinny Mancino, owners of Peppino’s restaurant and liquor store were presented with the 2019 Liberty Kiwanis Community Service Award.

Real estate agent Christine Olivieri was named Member of the Year.

Penney Santo, vice president of Liberty Kiwanis Club, said that without Girgenti and Ben Bay’s support, the club would not be able to hold the event every year. “This golf outing is so important because we honor so many great causes during the year,” she said. “Camp Kiwanis is one of our biggest events. It helps kids from the local area go away to camp.”

There were 45 to 50 golfers and over 150 people at the dinner to celebrate the honorees and Camp Kiwanis. In addition, over 100 raffles were drawn.

“The club also sponsors kids from the army base and Ronald McDonald House, where we bring food and entertainment to the families several times a year,” said Santo. “We also help St. Jude’s with donations, and we fund gift cards for teenagers at Fort Hamilton Army Base.”

Santo said the greatest feeling for her was the opportunity to give back. “It’s just a great feeling to give back to our kids, our seniors and those that need help,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about, helping each other, and that’s what Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights are all about.”

Former State Sen. Marty Golden comes to the outing every year. “Kiwanis is an organization that gives back,” Golden told this paper. “And the Liberty Kiwanis club is growing and obviously with great success.

“The more they grow, the more they’re able to give back to our community for taking care of our children, our handicapped and foster kids. They go in and help everybody. This year there were great honorees, and the best part is that it’s all going back to our community,” Golden added.

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