The City of Long Beach was founded in 1922. Just a few years later, what would become one of its longest-operating civic organizations — the Long Beach Lions Club — was established, and it has continued to contribute to the residents of Long Beach, Island Park and the surrounding areas for the past century.
On July 20, more than 200 people gathered at the Lawrence Yacht and Country Club, in Lawrence, to join the Lions for their centennial celebration, marking the club’s founding in 1926 and its 100 years of charitable service.
“The Lions Club helped build the first library in Long Beach,” recently elected District Governor Michael Robinson noted. “We also supported the hospital when it was there — over a million dollars given to Long Beach Medical Center over the years,” Robinson added, referring to the hospital that operated on East Bay Drive from 1922 until Hurricane Sandy forced its shutdown in 2012.
“They’ve done a lot of good for the city, a lot of good for the community,” City Manager Daniel Creighton said of the Lions. “It’s amazing. I think they’ve done great things.”
Club President Allen Schwartz reminded the audience of the organization’s continuing impact on the community: offering scholarships to area students; an annual pre-Thanksgiving food drive at local supermarkets, which has helped nearly 500 families; and one of its most significant fundraisers — teaming up with the Smithtown-based Guide Dog Foundation˜ to sponsor nearly 90 guide dogs and service dogs to help veterans and blind or visually impaired people.
“We breed, raise, train and place our dogs. Their funds go towards all of that,” Donna DeSivo, the major gifts officer for the Guide Dog Foundation, said of the club. “It’s a wonderful partnership. We can’t do what we do without our volunteers and without supporters like the Long Beach Lions. We’re very grateful for their support all of these years.”
The celebration featured dinner, dancing to live music, fundraising raffles and remarks from Robinson, Schwartz and the night’s special honorees — local families recognized for their efforts supporting the Lions Club over the years.
The McAvoy family has deep Long Beach roots: Its patriarch, Charles McAvoy, founded McAvoy Plumbing and Heating in 1926 — the year he joined the Lions Club as a charter member. “The McAvoys are basically an institution in Long Beach,” City Council President Brendan Finn said, “just as the Lions Club is.”
The club presented the McAvoys with a plaque honoring the family legacy and their continued involvement in the club. “We’re honored to be honored,” said Charlie McAvoy, current operator of McAvoy Plumbing and one of its founder’s grandsons. McAvoy recounted helping his mother, Anne, and father, Robert, prepare for a Lions Club dinner at their home when Charlie was a teenager. The meal was planned for the conclusion of the annual 10-mile Labor Day Run, which has since been shortened by half and renamed in his father’s memory — the annual Robert C. McAvoy 5-mile Race.
Island Park Mayor Mike McGinty and his wife, Jeanne, were honorees as well. Schwartz explained that the McGintys have reliably attended every event and fundraiser the Lions have held in recent years, and the club presented them with the Lion of the Year award. (Because the couple, who have been married for 33 years, always participate together, Schwartz explained, they earned the singular designation of Lion.)
“I’m very, very proud that the Lions Club has seen fit to honor us,” Mayor McGinty said. “Jeanne and I are active with Tunnel to Towers. The Lions Club raises money, principally, for guide dogs for veterans. In my mind, there’s nothing more important than our veterans. Nothing.”
The third honored family was the Natalellos, who have owned and operated Jack’s Pizzeria, in Island Park, for nearly 15 years. The eatery regularly supports locals causes, from PTA fundraisers and Little League teams to food pantries and families in need.
“We’ve always believed that a local pizzeria is more than just a place to eat,” said Charles Natalello, who was joined by his sister, Michelle Natalello and their parents, Nate and Josephine. “It’s where families celebrate, friends reconnect and the community feels at home. This award from the Lions Club reminds us how powerful it is when small family businesses and service organizations work together to strengthen our community.”
The club capped off the evening by continuing its legacy of giving back, presenting a check for $4,000 to Fans for the Cure, a prostate cancer awareness organization founded by baseball radio personality Ed Randall, who has been in remission from prostate cancer since 2002. The organization partners with major and minor league baseball parks to provide free blood test screenings and promote early testing and awareness.