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L-r: Dennis Surmanek, Bernie Moretti, Anthony Navarino, Paul Giarlettta, Edwina, Paul ScamardellaCourtesy Frank Wilkinson<\/p>\nSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 The North Shore Rotary Club celebrated some of Staten Island\u2019s most selfless community members during its annual Service Above Self Awards Night on Oct. 16 at LiGreci\u2019s Staaten. <\/p>\n
The event honored individuals whose quiet dedication and compassion have made a lasting difference in the borough.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s honorees included Patricia Gentile, Ryan Melis, Anthony Navarino, and Diane Kramer and Helen Timari of The Foundation of Dignity.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 2013, our mission with this award has been to shine a light on those who work quietly and humbly for the good of others,\u201d said Bernie Moretti, chair of the Unsung Hero Awards Committee. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s recipients continue that tradition of extraordinary service, reminding us all of what it means to give without expectation,\u201d Moretti added.<\/p>\n
Gentile was recognized for continuing the charitable legacy of her late partner, Steven Barajas, through the Santa Cause initiative. <\/p>\n
Each year, she organizes a Christmas celebration for children at P.S. 20, bringing joy and hope to local families with the support of friends, relatives and community partners.<\/p>\n
L-r: Dennis Surmanek, Bernie Moretti, Anthony Navarino, Paul Giarlettta, Edwina, Paul ScamardellaCourtesy Frank Wilkinson<\/p>\n
Melis, principal of New Ventures Charter School, was honored for his transformative leadership, which has helped the school become New York City\u2019s top-performing transfer high school \u2014 giving students a second chance at success.<\/p>\n
Navarino, a lifelong Staten Islander, was recognized for decades of community service and leadership, including work with Tunnel to Towers, the YMCA, Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, and youth sports programs. His tireless volunteerism has touched countless lives across the borough.<\/p>\n
Founders Diane Kramer and Helen Timari of The Foundation of Dignity were commended for their compassionate work ensuring that indigent Staten Islanders \u2014 including stillborn infants \u2014 receive a proper burial. <\/p>\n
Through their collaboration with the Richmond County Public Administrator\u2019s Office, Staten Island remains the only borough in New York City to offer this unique and humane service.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese honorees embody the very spirit of Rotary\u2019s motto, \u2018Service Above Self,\u2019\u201d said Dennis Surmanek, president of the North Shore Rotary Club. \u201cThey don\u2019t seek recognition, but their impact is undeniable. Staten Island is a better, kinder and stronger place because of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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L-r: Bernie Moretti, Helen Timari, Edwina Martin, Diane Kramer, and Dennis Surmanek.Courtesy Frank Wilkinson<\/p>\n
Since its inception in 2013, the Unsung Heroes recognition has honored dozens of community members and organizations for their lasting contributions to Staten Island. <\/p>\n
Past honorees include John J. Amodio, Carol Bullock, Aiman Youssef, Beatrice Victor, and the Diva for a Day Foundation.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1957, the North Shore Rotary Club is part of Rotary International\u2019s global network of 1.4 million volunteers. <\/p>\n
The club supports youth programs, veterans, families in crisis, and local educational and cultural initiatives, as well as global causes such as clean water and disease prevention.<\/p>\n
For more information, visit sinorthshorerotary.org or contact Frank Wilkinson at frankjwilkinson@gmail.com<\/a> or (347) 322-9426.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 The North Shore Rotary Club celebrated some of Staten Island\u2019s most selfless community members…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16742,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-16741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16741"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16741\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"(Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/COEDGNKVU5GADK4ZQGYNXV23FU.JPG\"\/)
L-r: Alex Ziselman, Bernie Morettu, Unsung Heroes Awards Chair, Edwina, Ryan Melis, Dennis Surmanek, North Shore Rotary Club President(Courtesy Frank Wilkinson)![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JS6L22QBFJBW5MIGYTTBUI4MUY.png\"\/)
Patricia Gentile, center, is flanked by her family and Bernie Moretti, and Dennis Surmanek, North Shore Rotary Club President.Courtesy Frank Wilkinson<\/p>\n