Nonprofit Donates $4K To Local Causes

Photos courtesy of Karen Fuller
Representatives from A Mother’s Kiss receive a check from Huntington Club President Patricia Martinolich.

By Julia Limmer
info@longislandergroup.com

Local nonprofit The Huntington Club has again made donations in support of local charities, a continuation of its yearly tradition to support causes that are not widely publicized.

The Huntington Club announced the most-recent pair of $2,000 donations during its end-of-year luncheon, hosted June 21 at Captain Bill’s in Bay Shore. This year’s beneficiaries are Ridge-based A Mother’s Kiss and the Northport Chapter of the St. Charles Auxiliary.

The club originally branched off in 1969 from a group called the Welcome Wagon, which sought to introduce new residents to town.

As far back as 1979, the club has been donating to charities in need. Its fundraising efforts typically benefit charities that do not receive much publicity, and/or those that focus on the health of women and children.

The club hosts luncheons each month, but does most of its fundraising through events like craft sales, themed basket sales and raffles.

One of the charities that the club has been donating to for several years is A Mother’s Kiss, an organization that focuses on helping Long Island families struggling with costs related childhood cancer treatment. The costs covered by AMK are those that are not usually covered by insurance. Created by Eileen and Guy Eger in 1994, AMK’s goal is to eliminate some of the stress taken on by a parent as they focus on helping their child get better.

The Northport Chapter of the St. Charles Auxiliary conducts a camp every summer for kids with upper extremity hemiparesis, a condition that affects a child’s hand and arm with semi or full paralysis on one side of the body. This camp uses a program called CIMT, or constraint-induced movement therapy. A camper’s non-affected arm is restrained in a removable cast during normal camp activities. The goal is to allow children to stretch out muscles in their weakened arm by doing tasks without the use of their stronger arm.

Along with the donations, Clare Intemann, a member of The Huntington Club and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Greenlawn, collected baby supplies. Every year the Baby’s Corner event is held at one of the club’s luncheons to provide baby supplies to needy families. Diapers, wipes, many large bags of clothing, crocheted items, and some cash were donated this year. The items were then donated to the church to be distributed.

For more information on the club, email Huntington Club President Patricia Martinolich at huntington.club.inc@gmail.com.