Copyright © 2000
Kiwanis Club of
Mercury 64
All Rights Reserved.
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News Items:
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| Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 Completes Painting Project |
| Amy Thorstad |
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 Members of the Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 recently painted two large classrooms
and several other areas for the Downtown Hampton Child Development Center at their Old Hampton
Community Center location. The project took 68 labor hours to complete and involved 12
volunteers. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one
child and one community at a time. Downtown Hampton Child Development Center is a non-profit,
educational organization offering affordable, quality early childhood care, parent training,
school readiness programs for low income and at-risk preschoolers. Pictured above from left to
right; Secretary Frank Dulong; Vice-President Amy Thorstad, President Monte Correll, member
Stan Winarski and President Elect Lorie Vega. |
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| Members of Mercury
64 Club Shave Heads |
Amy Thorstad |
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 Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 Secretary Frank Dulong and
honorary club member Jean Lawrence (right) have their heads shaved to raise money for
childhood cancer research! Their heads were shaved at a St. Baldrick's event held in
Norfolk the day after St. Patrick's Day. St. Baldrick's began in New York as a challenge
between friends to come up with a way to give back to the community. They shaved their
heads as a show of solidarity to the children who lose their hair during cancer treatments
and raised over $100,000 in their first year. Seven years and 12 million dollars later,
St. Baldrick's has become the world's largest event to raise money for childhood cancer
research. Research is the only hope for a cure and St. Baldrick's has committed to
continue shaving until every child with cancer can be cured. The money raised goes to
CureSearch, the world's leading childhood cancer research organization. To learn more,
please visit www.stbaldricks.org
or www.curesearch.org.
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 The Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 in Hampton was recently
honored by the Hampton Roads Chapter of the America Red Cross as one of their community
"Heros" for continuing and substantial support. (From left to right, Harvey
Margulies (Tres.), Lori Vega (Pres. Elect), Monte Correll (Pres.), Amy Thorstad (VP) and
Frank Dulong (Sec.)) |
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| Kiwanis Clubs of Mercury 64, Peninsula at Oyster Point Clubs Sponsor Child
Development Center |
Monte Correll |
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 The Kiwanis Clubs of Mercury 64 and Peninsula at Oyster Point
have sponsored a classroom for the Downtown Hampton Child Development Center. The cost was
$10,000 and the money will be used to furnish a vacant classroom. This will allow the
center to provide services for an additional 17 children. The Downtown Hampton Child
Development Center is a non-profit, educational organization offering affordable, quality
early-childhood care, parent training and school readiness programs for low-income and
at-risk preschoolers. (Pictured above, from left to right are, KCO Mercury 64
President, Monte Correll; KCO Mercury 64 Vice-President, Amy Thorstad, KCO Mercury 64
member, Baxter Simmons; Downtown Hampton Child Development Center PR and Marketing
Director, Carol Minter; KCO Peninsula at Oyster Point President, Barry Layman, and KCO
Peninsula at Oyster Point Board Member, Ernie Bretana.) |
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  Left, Heather Livingston, the
2004-05 Mercury 64 President, receiving her Hixson Award from the current Club President,
Monte Correll. Right, Mercury 64 members manning the phones for WHRO/WHRV public radio's
fall fund raiser on Oct 22. |
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| Mercury 64 Club
Holds 43rd Annual New Teacher's Breakfast |
Monte Correll |
Shown right is our 43rd Annual New Teacher's Breakfast that was held on August
31st at the Hampton Holiday Inn. This event is held to honor the Hampton School System's
new teach ers for the 2005/06 school year. We had 260 attendees —
the largest showing ever. Included were about 20 Kiwanians, 50 school administrators and
principals, and 190 new teachers. |
| Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 Makes Memorial Garden
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| Stanley Winarski
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 Over the past year the Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64, Hampton, worked with the
teachers and staff at Barron Elementary School to convert the center courtyard (right) of
the school into a memorial garden (left). This project grew out of the school's desire to
create a lasting memory of Bianca Forrio, a 1st grader whose sudden death in 2003 touched
the hearts of those in the school and the community. Although it will take a few
years for the other newly planted trees to shade the area, the project is now
well-established and will increasingly provide a quiet place for the children to gather.
As the trees mature, additional benches will be added providing an outdoor alternative to
the classrooms. A small earthen stage has been raised on which student recognition
celebrations and performances may be held. |
| Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 Awards Scholarship |
Stanley Winarski |
Sara Kay Knicely, a recent graduate of Jamestown High School enrolled as a
freshman at Davidson College is the recipient of a four year scholarship awarded by the
Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64, Hampton. Sara is shown here with her
sister, Esther, displaying the same scholarship which she won in 2002. Esther is a junior
at Wheaton College. Heather Livingston, President of the Kiwanis Club presented the award
at a Club breakfast. |
| Kiwanis Clubs of
Norfolk and Mercury Pass Out Medical Information |
E.F. Dulong |
 Kelly Lambroff (right), a member of the Kiwanis Club of Norfolk and Program
Director for Kids Priority One, and Frank Dulong of the Kiwanis club of Mercury
distributed immunization material at the 8th Annual Vaccine Issues Update Conference in
Norfolk. The conference was presented by the Consortium for Infant and Child Health, and
Project Immunize Virginia, and sponsored by the Children’s Hospital of the
King’s Daughter of Norfolk. Over three hundred health care personnel from Virginia
attended the conference. |
| Kiwanis Club of
Mercury 64 Helps Food Bank |
E.F. Dulong |
The photo to the right was taken on April 21, 2005 during a fund raiser for the
Peninsula Food Bank Nine. The Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 assisted in this event. Amy
Thorstad, a new member of the club, and her mother Jean Lawrence are in the process of
policing  up the area. Their were over 30 restaurants that
participated by giving away samples of their food products. |
| Newest Member of
Mercury 64 Club Joins in Memory of Daughter |
E.F. Dulong |
 The newest member of
the Merc 64 Club, Amy Thorstad (right), joined Kiwanis to help raise funds for
organizations (like Kiwanis) that were so helpful during her 10-year-old daughter's
16-month-long fight against cancer. See http://www.amiraclefortaylor.com.
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 ST BALDRICK’S
DAY: Ed and Marry Bennett shared with us a relatively new fundraiser for children’s
cancer research. Similar to a walk-a-thon, St Baldrick participants solicit pledges from
friends and relatives. In this case, instead of walking, the participant agrees to have
his/her head shaved if a predetermined goal is met. The Edwards became involved when they
lost a son to cancer and discovered how few research dollars are devoted to
children’s cancer. The Club made a donation to the effort. (L to R: Heather
Livingston, Ed and Mary Bennett, Amy Thorstad). |
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 A motley work crew from the Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 pose for
a photo after a busy day refurbishing the playground at Transitions, a refuge for victims
of domestic violence in Hampton. The Club had built the playground several years ago and
noted recently that it was showing some wear and tear due to its popularity and age. This
past year, the Club has raised and distributed over $27,000 to charitable organizations on
the Peninsula and world-wide with a special emphasis on assisting children. Regular
meetings are held at 7:30 Wednesday mornings at the Hampton Holiday Inn and visitors are
welcome. Work sessions are held whenever and wherever needed. |
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 Students (and teachers) watch spellbound as the story of Rikki
Tikki Tavi unfolds. The Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 sponsored educational presentations in
two Hampton schools of The Virginia Stage Company's The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi. In
this story, an adaptation from the story by Rudyard Kipling, Darzee the Tailor Bird, diva
extraordinaire, is incensed when Rikki Tikki Tavi, a young mongoose, washes up in her
pristine garden. Darzee does not share anything with anyone, except maybe her friend
Chuchu the Muskrat. They agree that Rikki must go! Darzee and Chuchu pull out all the
stops attempting to run off the pesky mongoose. That is, until Nag the very nasty and very
bossy cobra appears on the scene - but Nag soon runs in fear when he discovers that a
mongoose is on the loose. This comic adaptation of Kipling's classic encourages sharing
and cooperation and revels in the wonder and amazement of childhood. SOL-based teacher's guide
with background information about he author, the play itself, and the elements of each
production as well as exercises and activities for the students to participate in before
and after the performance were provided to the schools. |
| Mercury-64 Kiwanis Club Hosts 40th Annual Hampton School System
New Teachers’ Breakfast |
Monte R. Correll |
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  On September 1st, the Mercury-64 Kiwanis Club hosted its 40th Annual
Hampton School System New Teachers’ Breakfast. Over 200 new teachers and Hampton
School System administrators were present for this gals event. After introductory remarks
by Mercury-64 President, Stan Winarski and Hampton School System’s Superintendent,
Dr. Patrick Russo, each teacher was introduced by members of the Mercury-64 Club. Several
of the new teachers remarked that this is the only time in their careers that they have
been recognized is such a grand manner. Above left, Dr. Patrick Russo and Stan
Winarski. Right, Hampton’s new teachers |
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 Mercury 64 Kiwanis
proudly announces the winners of the annual Jules Frank Scholarship Awards. The
scholarships are $4,000 each, and are awarded to graduating seniors of Peninsula or
Gloucester high schools who are Key Club members and who display outstanding leadership. Pictured
are the winners (l-r) David B. Knight, Poquoson High, now a student at UVa; Carl Reitman,
Bethel High, will be attending William & Mary in the fall; and Esther Nicely,
Jamestown High, sophomore at Wheaton College, IL. Not Shown is Stacy Adams who graduated
from Kecoughtan High and is now at UVa. |
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