East Norwich Juniors extended Oyster Bay hospitality to young people from the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club as they again participated in the annual outing at the home of Marge and Fritz Coudert. Their advisor, Jerry Presta, and the Junior Firefighters were there as the day began, with their new pumper truck, #512, starting the fun. It left after the opening ceremony and the "Gator" stayed for the rest of the day as the Juniors helped keep the kids cool with a gentle spray.

The day proceeded with help from several local Oyster Bay groups including the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary, the East Norwich Fire Department and the Oyster Bay Bay Constables under the direction of Kathy Buc. Several boats were there to take the children out on the water including three from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The children were able to board them and ride into the harbor. The Nassau County Police division sent a boat as did Frank M. Flower & Sons, Inc., both of which offered rides to the kids. The Christeen oyster sloop was there for the adult guests to visit with Clint Smith on board.

Shannon Cornale, a member of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, performed at the opening ceremony as the youngsters clambered out of buses and walked in small groups, each with their counselors, to a series of fun activities. The event marks the end of the summer program for the Kips Bay Club. Ms. Cornale is a member of the "K" Company, a group of young performers from the club, as was Jennifer Lopez who last year visited her former youth group for a special TV performance. At the closing ceremony Shannon Cornale sang a song from The Little Mermaid. Ms. Cornale thanked the Couderts for her visits to the estate over the years. She is going on to college studying for a career in entertainment.

Daniel Quintero, executive director of the Kips Bay Club said that last year had been fantastic for the Bronx club. "We continue to grow as an organization. We have a new sports complex thanks to Mr. Coudert. He's been instrumental in getting us an ice dome that serves for football in the summer in the cooled down dome. It's also better for baseball since our teams can play in the winter and hone their skills. The club served 8,500 children last year. We are creating a new 30,000 sq. ft. facility in the West Bronx. It is an area under-served and we will be providing educational, recreational and empowerment programs that the area needs. It will cost $8.5 million for the new facility using private and public funds."

"The clubs," he said, "are a huge deterrent for gangs. Most youngsters join gangs for self worth and self esteem and we can do that in Boys & Girls Clubs."