Joseph Eppolito Presents first Ivan Tarnopoll Award

During the 2019 annual meeting of the New York District Kiwanis Foundation Friday afternoon, foundation board member Herb Chan was honored as the first recipient of the Ivan Tarnopoll Award.

Joe Eppolito presenting Ivan Tarnopoll Award to Herb Chan

The new award will honor the memory of West Seneca member Ivan Tarnopoll, who paid for a life insurance policy which resulted in a payment of $500,000 to the foundation upon his death last year. His generosity has put the foundation and Kamp Kiwanis on the best financial footing it has had in many years.

Foundation President Sal Anelli said they want to permanently honor Tarnopoll's memory, and it was Past Gov. Joseph Eppolito who suggested creating the award to honor someone whose dedication and hard work have benefited Kamp Kiwanis even while they avoid the limelight.

Once the award itself has been determined, Anelli said he and Eppolito independently came up with the idea of giving to Chan, who is personally responsible for many of the construction projects which have been carried out at the kamp for the past several years but who usually deflects credit for what he does.

Later in the meeting, board member elections took place and Chan and other incumbent board members Mike Siniski and Keith Cummings were elected to new three-year terms.