Huntington Key Club Determined to Make a Difference

Huntington High School’s Key Club chapter is one of Long Island’s oldest and traditionally one of its most active and highly regarded. This year’s group is especially enthusiastic and energetic about meeting its mission.

A member of the Kiwanis International family, Key Club chapters exist in thousands of high schools across the country. Huntington’s chapter was established decades ago and has thrived over the years.

“Key Club is the oldest and largest service program for high school students,” according to its international website. “It is a student-led organization that teaches leadership through service to others. Key Club members build themselves as they build their schools and communities.”

Key Club has approximately 251,000 members in more than 5,000 clubs. It is represented in 40 countries.

“So far this year, the executive board and advisors have been working really well together to bring the club back to the state it was prior to the COVID-19 regulations that have been in place since my sophomore year,” said senior Kate Balm, who serves as the Huntington chapter’s president. “Our executive board has been meeting since about the second week of the school and has already discussed and publicized a couple of upcoming events we will be participating in such as our blood Drive on October 7, which is partnered with the Long Island Blood Service.”

Joining Ms. Balm on the Huntington chapter executive board are Charlotte Gordon (vice president), Brooke Parks (secretary), Haileigh Smith (treasurer), Victoria Befumo (publicist), Jack Ruthkowski (attendance) and Sophia Segal, who is the executive assistant for the New York District Key Club.

English teachers Kelly Krycinski and Gina Colica are the Key Club’s longtime faculty advisors.

“The executive board has also outlined our club’s participation in the annual homecoming bonfire,” Ms. Balm said. “We are all working really hard to bring this club back to what it was prior to the pandemic. We have gone back to fully in person meetings in our beloved home of the Heritage Room and have begun having members help out with activities after meetings such as the creation of posters for our blood drive and making gold ribbons to raise awareness for pediatric cancer, which we all know holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of Huntington students and staff.” Joining Ms. Balm on the Huntington chapter executive board are Charlotte Gordon (vice president), Brooke Parks (secretary), Haileigh Smith (treasurer), Victoria Befumo (publicist), Jack Ruthkowski (attendance) and Sophia Segal, who is the executive assistant for the New York District Key Club.

If past years are any indicator, membership in this year’s club will reach more than 100. “All of us involved in the club, especially the advisors and members of the executive board, are looking forward to diving back into a normal Key Club routine and are ecstatic to have yet another successful year piled up with fun and creative events,” Ms. Balm said.

Interested in helping Huntington’s Key Club achieve its goals? Send a message to Ms. Krycinski (kkrycinski@hufsd.edu) or Ms. Colica (gcolica@hufsd.edu).