Kiwanis prize nominees keep oncharacter of charitable trust in Lowell
LOWELL -- Within the more than 50 years that he was a member with the Kiwanis Club of Higher Lowell, Thomas G. Kelakos helped out countless organizations, from the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club for the Visiting Nurse Association, The Bartlett Junior High School, Lowell High School plus the Helenic American School.
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"A lot of what Tom did, he did anonymously. He just did points quietly and in an unassuming way. He got the Humanitarian Award in the Northern Middlesex Chamber of Commerce along with the Salvation Army Advisory Board gave him its William Booth Award. He was an awesome man," mentioned Bob Howard, who served with Kelakos inside the Kiwanis Club just before his death about a dozen years ago.
To honor Kelakos and his generosity, the Kiwanis named an award in his honor.
"This will be the 11th Thomas G. Kelakos Neighborhood Spirit Award," stated Howard, chairman of the awards committee for the Kiwanis.
The 2013 award, which is to be given out at a banquet Friday at Lenzi's Mill Home in Dracut, will visit John Chemaly and Gary Sepe of Trinity EMS, in honor of their success in following within the footsteps of Kelakos, founder of your Lowell MEDCO Home Well being Care medical-supply organization.
Howard said Chemaly and Sepe have modeled the career of Kelakos through their organization and also the lots of charitable contributions the productive endeavor has permitted them to produce.
"Tom was just an excellent guy, so we're very honored to be within the corporation of him and everybody who was honored prior to us," mentioned Chemaly, who founded Trinity EMS with Sepe 20 years ago.
Even though Sepe primarily runs its operations, Chemaly represents the small business in its community relations and philanthropy, serving around the boards of the Higher Lowell Community Foundation, The Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union plus the Middlesex Neighborhood College Foundation, and as president from the Massachusetts Ambulance Association plus the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to speakers and citations from City Manager Bernie Lynch and Sen. Eileen Donoghue, the banquet attributes dinner and dancing, with entertainment supplied by the Adagio Lite Jazz Band.
Howard, who has served together with the Kiwanis for 15 years, stated Chemaly and Sepe have been nominated by Jim and Effie Dragon, the latter of whom is Kelakos' niece and was acquainted with the story of how her uncle helped the pair get began in their company.
"When we very first began, we did not have any credit and Tom called a couple of guys he was good friends with," said Chemaly, who met his small business partner by means of his father, Mario Sepe, a longtime Lowell police officer, when Chemaly was functioning as a manager in the former Care Ambulance in Lowell.
"He named Mr. Cohen at Towers Auto Parts in front of us and mentioned he'd back any credit Towers issued," he stated.
"We were two young kids wen we started the ambulance organization and Tom also known as Jimmy Cooney (in the James L. Cooney Insurance Agency) and he helped us out, too. That was just a terrific point," added Gary Sepe, who worked as an EMT before meeting his enterprise companion.
Tickets to the banquet expense $60 each and every and could be bought in advance by calling Howard at 978-459-0802. Anybody who can't make it to the banquet but would like to make a donation in honor of Chemaly and Sepe can do so at LowellKiwanis.org.
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