JFK Club Honors Queens Grads With Award, Cash

The John F. Kennedy Regular Democratic Club of Queens (JFK Club) honored graduating students from seven local high schools in Eastern Queens for their commitment to education and the community with their Charles P. Zaragoza Community Service Award and a $100 check. The award was created this year in memory of Zaragoza, who was a 20-year member of the club, president of the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish Council and advocated for the homeless and newcomers to this country.

College office counselors Cathy Reynolds, Jamaica H.S., Robert Boykin, Richmond Hill H.S., Martina Grant, Forest Hills H.S., Barbara Gong, John Bowne H.S., Christine Gerstner, Robert F. Kennedy H.S., Lisa Carney, Hillcrest H.S. and Kelly Miller, Gateway H.S. chose the recipients of this award.

The winners of the JFK Club's 2008 Zaragoza Community Service Award are Dominique Burrus, Poiema Willett, Andrew Shamsheer, Gralat Xue, Dimitra Mpounas, Angela Farooqi and Jolene Ramsaran.

JFK Club Award Committee Members Susan Cleary chair, Jeffrey Gottlieb co-chair, Karen Cohn, Harold Weinman, Howard Birnbaum and Dave Kerpen presented District Leaders Morton Povman and Charlotte Scheman with the concept of honoring graduating students with not only a certificate but cash as well.

JFK Club President Herb Ryan, with Cleary was the first to present the award certificate in the form of a "proclamation" and check, followed by club members Cohn, Weinman, Gottlieb and Deacon Lionel Knight.

Ryan said, "I have not seen nor heard such enthusiasm for education and helping out the community, and we look forward to a tradition of the JFK Club presenting the Zaragoza Community Service Award." Cleary added, "I was really impressed with the students and their commitment as well as other cash awards such as Coca Cola's $50,000 and the United States Air Force $60,000. While we're not in that league, it felt really good to watch the students' faces when we handed them their check right after we read their 'proclamation'."