Rickie Santer

Rickie Santer is a senior at Division Avenue High School in Levittown, NY. He is currently serving his second term as Lt. Governor of the New York District Key Club Division 6. His wide variety of community service activities include leading over 1,500 Key Club members in 11 high schools in the service of others through club-based and division-wide projects.

Some of these service projects include volunteering as staff for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Memory Walk, raising money for a $1,000 donation to the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center, trick-or-treating for UNICEF, cleaning-up the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s outdoor exhibit area, creating “Pillow Hugs” for injured veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, purchasing bed kits through Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) for children in the Philippines, co-sponsoring an Aktion Club for disabled adults in a local ACLD group home, a trash pick-up at a bird sanctuary, donating a trauma kit to the Nassau County Police Ambulance Unit, telethons for cystic fibrosis and two Relays for Life.

The most recent service project coordinated by Lt. Governor Rickie was a divisional talent show involving members of the entire Kiwanis family including Kiwanis Club, Key Club, Builders Club and Aktion Club members.

On May 26, 2007, Rickie was 16 years old when his Divisional Secretary and friend Katieanne Molloy shared her diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) with him. Although devastated by the news, Rickie began researching the disease. While Katie’s prognosis isn’t good, Rickie learned about some cutting edge research into treatments and the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Two days later, Rickie held the first meeting of his talent show committee that would eventually name the show the Spotlight 4 Sight (S4S). Through the talent show, Rickie and the committee hoped to raise $10,000 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Over several meetings, Lt. Governor Rickie and his committee created a logo, adopted a timeline, distributed registration forms, secured insurance for the show, booked an auditorium, wrote explanatory letters to Kiwanis Club presidents, planned a printed program which will included ads and boosters and arranged several pre-show fundraising events.

Through the summer, Lt. Governor Rickie and his committee have done volunteer work that led to a generous donation, arranged a meeting with a representative from the Foundation Fighting Blindness for Key Club officers, designed a lapel pin for sale as a fundraiser, held a 50’s themed fundraiser, made several informational presentations and planned a Coldstone Creamery fundraiser.

On October 19, 2007, the Spotlight 4 Sight Talent Show involved over 150 Key Clubbers, 100 Kiwanians, 15 Builders Clubbers and 10 Aktion Club members. These performers, judges and stage crew, included individuals ranging in age from 11 to 75, engaged in a single community service event that educated audience members related to retinal diseases and raised $10,000 to support research seeking treatments or a cure for retinal diseases that cause blindness.