From The Top
Co-President Charlie opened the meeting with the pledge led by Gus Fishel, and grace by Michael Beck. Today’s guest speaker was Mike Lullo, accompanied by his wife Maeghan O’Keefe. Charlie’s guests were his wife Adele, John and Danielle Scoglio. State Assemblyman Michael LiPetri also joined us.
Albany Update – NYS Assemblyman LiPetri gave a quick summary of the most important legislation coming from the state government, indicating how it might impact folks in our community.
Announcements
Dog Walk Fundraiser – Miserable weather is forecast for Saturday AM; our Dog Walk fundraiser is therefore postponed. A new date for the event will be posted soon.
Arbor Day – On Tuesday morning, Alice Hageman, Josie Titcomb, and Scott Lockwood celebrated our Annual Arbor Day event with a large class of first-graders at the Parliament Place Elementary School in North Babylon.
Seedlings, planting and care instructions, and Arbor Day Proclamations were distributed to all present, and Scott recited his traditional essay on Arbor Day history, arboreal insights, the importance of conservation, and the everyday utility of trees.
Over the nearly 50-year history of the Arbor Day Program, Babylon Rotary has distributed about 100,000 seedlings to elementary school children in our service area. Many stately trees, planted and cared for over the years by eager students, can be seen throughout our community.
Besides staging this year’s Arbor Day celebration, Alice, Josie, and Scott arranged for the purchase, prep and distribution of 1500 seedlings to all first graders in the school districts within Babylon Rotary’s service area. Many thanks to Alice, Josie, Scott and to the good folks of the Babylon Beach House, who made it all possible.
Bulk Food Buy – Scott Lockwood, ably assisted by Werner Zumbrunn, Frank Seibert, and Kristen Morse, led a contingent from five local soup kitchens on a bulk food shopping spree at Restaurant Depot this morning. Kristen related a passionate account of the event, describing her discussions with the participants, her impressions as a new member, and gratifying sense of being part of an organization making a real difference in our community.
Babylon Rotary has been helping local soup kitchens restock their depleted supplies for many years. For some, we are their primary means of support. As in the past several years, the bulk food purchase was partially funded by a generous grant from Suffolk County to support our Community Food Program.
Scholarship Luncheon – Chairman Marc Horowitz and his committee have completed their work selecting this year’s Babylon Rotary Scholarship winners. The Annual Scholarship Luncheon has been scheduled at the LIYC for Wednesday, May 22nd. This is always a popular and full house event; be sure to get there early to meet and congratulate the winners, their parents, teachers and advisors.
Today’s Program
Mike Lollo, an NYPD detective, spoke of the circumstances, deliberations, choices, and processes he experienced when deciding to donate his kidney to a complete stranger.
He explained that it began last year with an Internet plea for a kidney donor for a fellow police officer. Although that opportunity didn’t work out, similar, subsequent kidney donor pleas led Mike to do considerable research on the needs, options, risks , and rewards associated with organ donations, and his ultimate, altruistic decision to be a kidney donor.
Mike described the medical tests and overall process he went through at the Cornell Medical Center to prepare for the donation. He also described the mission and operation of the National Kidney Registry, an organization that assures exact matches between kidney donors and recipients. The Registry also assures that the non-directed donor, giving to a stranger, initiates a chain of transplants that helps many patients get kidney transplants.
Mike also explained his efforts on behalf of the Living Donor Support Act, pending NYS legislation that will help organ donors with lost pay and other costs associated with their donation. 
He concluded by emphasizing the need for kidney donors, and organ donors in general. Although there are over 150,000 people in the United States living full and active lives with transplanted kidneys, there are 95,00 on the waiting list. Mike encouraged everyone to opt for organ donor when renewing one’s driver’s license or as part of one’s will.
Following Mike’s talk, John Scoglio briefly described the process from the recipient’s perspective, having recently received a new kidney from his daughter.
Next Week’s Program
Crissy Maler will talk to us about “Label Breakers” at our next regular meeting on Wednesday, April 24th.