Farmingdale Village officials often recognize individuals and organizations that greatly contribute to local community and charitable efforts. In this column, we recognize Kevin Bagnasco, a true leader and commend him for outstanding volunteer and humanitarian efforts. Bagnasco is Vice President of the Farmingdale Lunch Rotary organization, and through the rotary, he got involved with and is treasurer of Gift of Life International.
The Bagnasco family business, Avanti Furniture, is a fine custom furniture, upholstery and interiors workroom that has been owned and operated by the Bagnasco family since 1965. Congratulations to them for over 50 years in business. Stop in and say hello as they are located at 497 Main St. in Farmingdale Village. They also created beautiful antique replica benches in our Farmingdale Historic Railroad Station. And, among other groups, Bagnasco is a huge supporter of Farmingdale Rotary.
There are actually two Farmingdale Rotary organizations, a breakfast club and a lunch club. The Farmingdale Rotary lunch club started in 1928. The clubs are part of “Rotary International,” which brings together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service. Rotary clubs advance goodwill and peace around the world and are open to all.
I am actually a founding member of the breakfast rotary club that was founded in January 1982, for those who couldn’t make the lunch meetings. The breakfast rotary club meets on the First Wednesday of the month at 7:45 a.m. at the Farmingdale Diner, 17 Hempstead Turnpike.
The lunch rotary meets on Wednesdays at 12:10 p.m. at Palmer’s American Grille in 123 Fulton St. The lunch club is seeking to expand and looking for new individuals to join, and invites anyone interested to attend an upcoming meeting at Palmer’s. You can call Bagnasco at 516-317-1131, or join them on February 19 at 6 p.m., to learn more about the organization and their efforts.
Both Farmingdale Rotary groups are very active for many years and accomplished many great things in our community and beyond. They plan community events to raise funds for charity, such as the annual doggie parade and a food/wine fundraiser. The rotary also selects scholarship for high school students. We thank everyone involved in both rotary clubs for their dedication and community service. To learn more the Farmingdale clubs attend an upcoming meeting, visit their websites at www.farmingdalebreakfastrc.org and www.farmingdalerotary.com.
Something close to the rotary and Bagnasco’s heart is the Gift Of Life Program. “Partners in Action Around the World: The Gift of Life” is a rotarian-based nonprofit organization with 84 Gift of Life programs in 80 countries across 5 continents. Gift of Life initiatives are supported by 286 Rotary Clubs and 63 Rotary Districts throughout the world. Their mission is to provide lifesaving cardiac treatment to children in need from developing countries regardless of gender, creed or national origin. Changing the world for the better, one child at a time. In other countries, 1.3 million children are born with congenital heart defects and they lack facilities, technology, knowledge and government assistance to cure the children. In under-developed countries, 93 percent of the 1.3 million children won’t survive without access to the type of medical care needed. The Gift of Life International is a conduit to oversee and coordinate, saving over 3,000 children per year. The foundation does a lot of work with grants and in-kind donations by medical doctors and professionals. In-kind donations for Gift of Life International were approximately $10 million, with the doctors going over there with medicine and equipment are all donated.
The Gift of Life organization has saved over 36,000 children’s lives through operations and cardiac repair. It was started 44 years ago by the Manhasset Rotary Club. Grace Argora, was five years old and was flown over from Africa, where they performed the operation here at St. Francis Hospital, staying to recover for a while before back to Uganda. Since then, this organization has flourished and exploded. The Gift of Life saves a child’s life every eight hours. Initially, the children were brought here. Nowadays, many of the operations are performed in the countries for efficiency and affordability, and training is provided for a medically sustainable environment, empowering them to perform heart surgery on kids.
Bagnasco actually went to Haiti and was in the operating room viewing a heart operation. He actually saw the heart stop during the operation. Bagnasco’s fondest “rotary moment” was watching the heart repair and seeing the child recover. In 1983, two Korean children were brought here for life saving operations on Air Force One during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.
The Farmingdale Rotary has donated for years to the Gift of Life. Two years ago, the Rotary wine and food event raised approximately $5,000 to sponsor two children. There are so many involved in the efforts and mission. The Farmingdale Rotary has saved lives in El Salvador, Cambodia and more.
“The goal is save lives and also help empower these regions. When you give, you get back so much more,” said Bagnasco.
Thanks to all involved from the rotary and Gift of Life.
And that’s just one example of our local giving, with more to come in future columns. Locally, there are outreach and donation collections happening on an ongoing basis, such as St. Kilian’s food pantry helping to feed those in need in Farmingdale. Please support and donate whenever you can. Learn more at www.facebook.com/pg/St.KilianSocialMinistry/about.
Farmingdale Village is participating in the Long Island Village Clerks & Treasurers Food Drive through Island Harvest’s “March on Hunger” to help feed Long Islanders in need. Donations of non-perishable food donations and cleaning products, among others, can be dropped off at our collection box inside Village Hall through March 3. There is also an online donation portal as part of the “March on Hunger,” a virtual food drive where monetary donations can be made. Visit www.fooddriveonline.org/islandharvest or call 516-294-8528. Special thanks to Barbara Kelly, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer of Farmingdale Village, for spearheading our collection efforts with the Long Island Village Clerks & Treasurers Food Drive.
