Huntington Key Club Hits Full Stride

Fresh off a successful blood drive, Huntington High School’s Key Club chapter has stepped up its game. The organization is in full stride with more than 100 active members and an enthusiastic executive board.

The group held its annual post-Halloween candy drive, “where we asked members to bring in extra or remaining candy from the holiday so we could donate all of it to veterans and soldiers who didn’t have any,” Key Club President Kate Balm said. “We also recently held a canned food drive. It helped the GrandFriends club with its annual Thanksgiving basket initiative for elders in our community who can’t go out and get their own food or can’t afford it.”

Key Club members have sketched out a busy winter. “We have a few events that our officers, advisors and members are really looking forward to,” Ms. Balm said.

Ms. Balm and her fellow executive board members Charlotte Gordon (vice president), Brooke Parks (secretary), Haileigh Smith (treasurer), Victoria Befumo (publicist) and Jack Ruthkowski (attendance) and faculty advisors Kelly Krycinski and Gina Colica are completely committed to their work. They preside over frequent meetings that fill the School Heritage Museum room to capacity.

“Our next event is Bundle Up with Buddy on December 7,” Ms. Balm said. “It’s is a new event that we are starting up this year. It’s a movie night held in the auditorium where all students are invited to come in their pajamas and comfy clothes and enjoy a fun holiday movie with their friends. Concessions will be sold in the lobby so everyone who comes to the event will have snacks to enjoy while watching the movie. We are working really hard to make it as fun and festive as possible.”

Following Bundle Up with Buddy, the Key Club will host its annual Target Tour event on December 17. “This is one of my favorite events of the year as we get the chance to bring holiday spirit to less fortunate kids in our community,” Ms. Balm said.

Key Club members bring children from financially challenged families around the Huntington Target before the store opens. They are given a fixed amount of money to buy the youngsters coats, hats, gloves, scarves and anything else they may need to stay warm during the winter months.

“Getting to watch the boys and girls faces light up as we walk them around the store and let them pick out what they want is the most rewarding part about doing something this wonderful during the holiday season,” Ms. Balm said. “After we purchase the items, we head off to a different location and spend the rest of the time wrapping the gifts so the children have something to open during the holidays.”

Key Club officials have shown time after time they are capable of planning events down to the most minor of details and this winter’s activities are no different.

“Key Club has been putting in so much effort to try and make these events a lot of fun so that everyone attending can enjoy them,” Ms. Balm said.