Huntington Key Club Brightens Holidays
The Huntington High School Key Club teamed up with local Kiwanis volunteers to brighten the holidays for more than four dozen local children.
The Key Club spreads good will every December by coordinating a shopping tour and holiday toy drive. This year's drive collected 400 toys. They will be distributed at the Family Service League/Tri-CYA holiday gift boutique.
A shopping tour through Sears was held last Saturday morning at the Huntington Square Mall in East Northport. About 60 Key Club volunteers turned out at 7:45 a.m. and were met by Kiwanis members who distributed $150 gift cards to the teenagers. The Key Clubbers were paired with youngsters ages 5-8 who were sent with a list by their parents that detailed goods the kids needed to get them through the winter months.
"Most of the children got coats, clothes, boots and hats," said Kelly Krycinski, a Huntington High School English teacher and the co-faculty advisor of the Key Club along with department colleague Gina Colica.
The Key Club members shopped with their assigned children for about two hours, until 10:30 a.m. and then went to St. Elizabeth's Church in South Huntington to gift-wrap the items, which were later given to the Kiwanis members. Kiwanis is a global organization consisting of thousands of volunteers "dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time."
"The gifts will be brought to the children's homes to be opened on Christmas Day," Mrs. Krycinski said. "The students work very hard and provide all of their own transportation." Mrs. Krycinski and Ms. Colica have been coordinating this Key Club initiative for the past four years.
The annual shopping tour and toy drive carries deep meaning for the Huntington students and their advisors. "It really reminds one about what the holiday season truly means," Mrs. Krycinski said. "It is a wonderful tradition and the Key Clubbers did an amazing job this year."