Pilot Club: Desserts, Cards and Games for Charity

The Pilot Club of Sayville held a fundraiser last weekend at the Sayville Fire Department with members getting together for desserts, cards and games to help raise funds for the many charities to which they donate their time and money.  

“We are a service organization and our motto is ‘friendship and service.’ We work with people who have brain disorders and disabilities. That is our main focus: people with Alzheimer’s and Autism. Any fundraising we do goes back into the community for people in need," said Delores Savitsky, treasurer.

The Desserts, Cards and Games Fundraiser, a first of its kind for the Pilot Club of Sayville, was coordinated by Peggy Riefenstahl, a member since last year with a history of volunteer work for many other charities in the community. “I had been to a fundraiser for another organization and I brought this idea back. I call it a mini fundraiser. The Fashion show in March is our main large fundraiser at Villa Lombardi’s for more than 30 years," Riefenshahl said.

Gift baskets for the fundraiser were donated by members and local merchants. “Merchants have always been very supportive. I can’t have enough good things to say about Sayville. This fundraiser will help benefit a lot of different things,” said Ellen Hathaway, president of the Pilot Club for 33 years. 

The Pilot Club provides many other services to the community, including  donating to Wounded Warriors, The Sayville Project and more.  “We give out three scholarships to the (Sayville) High School, we have bought Life Saver Bracelets, and we go to Day Haven once a month to play bingo with the people who stay there with Alzheimer’s and Dementia," Hathaway said.

The Pilot Club of Sayville has its own program for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners called Brain Minders where members of the Pilot Club teach children about protecting their brain through puppetry. “We talk to the children through puppets on how to protect their brain and properly wear a helmet. We work with Head Start programs and church daycares," Hathaway said. The Pilot Club purchases bicycle helmets for children and this year the club gave away more than 100.

Sayville High School Students have also been getting involved and have formed an Anchor Club to The Pilot Club of Sayville. "They are remarkable! You can’t talk bad about teenagers to me. Melissa Rizzo-Shore is a teacher and the Anchor Club advisor at the school. They do cookie drives, clothing drives and they are doing a Thanksgiving Dinner for the homeless. They are involved in many community services,” Hathaway said.

The Pilot Club of Sayville always welcomes new members and encourages anyone who wants to give back to the community to join. “We really encourage the local women who are now empty nesters, or if they have been laid off but they can give back to the community. We really encourage younger women to join as well,” Hathaway said.  

For more information about the Pilot Club, visit their website at http://www.sayville.com/pilot/.