The Levittown - Island Trees Youth Council held its 14th Annual Presidents Awards Dinner last weekend. The dinner, held at the Wantagh Inn on Sept. 13, is held annually to thank and recognize the numerous presidents of the various sporting organizations that make up the Youth Council.

"This is our effort to thank you for everything you've done for our kids in Levittown during the past year," said Youth Council Executive Director Kevin Regan. "It means a great deal to me and it means a great deal to our children."

Regan, noting that the Levittown - Island Trees Youth Council is one of the most successful camps in Long Island, said that there are several people responsible for that success.

"On the school side, we have Anna and Linda (from the district's athletic department) who would not be able to do what they do [without] Keith Snyder, district athletic director." Regan also thanked the two people who run the camp, Deidre O'Regan and Kevin Regan Jr.

Regan introduced some local elected officials who were in attendance to congratulate the presidents, including County Assessor Charles O'Shea, Senator Kemp Hannon, Assemblyman Dave McDonough and Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray.

"I never knew, until I got to the other side as a parent taking my kids to sports, how much work goes into running leagues, scheduling, finding reps and all of the different things that have to be done," Hannon said.

O'Shea thanked Regan for all of his efforts in making the youth council so successful and congratulated the presidents.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for what you do to make the Levittown - Island Trees Youth Council the pre-eminent one in the entire county." he said. "There's nothing else in the county like this and that's what makes Levittown - Island Trees such a special place."

"To see the commitment to youth here and what you do is outstanding, because youth is our most important resource and what we do with them now is going to pay off in the future," McDonough said.

Murray, introduced not only as current town clerk and former assemblywoman, but also as former Red Devil cheerleader, also thanked the presidents.

"As a native Levittowner I've been a direct beneficiary," Murray said. "We really appreciate what you do because I know that the children of Levittown and Island Trees are really the beneficiaries for everything you do."

Officer Tom Carroll, deputy inspector of the 8th Precinct, was also on hand to congratulate youth council presidents.

"Let me assure you the continued cooperation of the 8th Precinct with the efforts you're putting out to the kids of Levittown and Island Trees," he said. "It keeps as many of them as possible out of trouble and the kids grow up tall and strong."

Among the presidents honored at the dinner were:

Dennis Machado, Red Devils Football and Cheerleading; Joel E. Bearman, Levittown Athletic Club (unable to attend); Dolf Queripel, John Fechtmann and John Garvey, Levittown Tomahawks Lacrosse; Kevin Joyce, Levittown Central Baseball; Pat Roach, Levittown North Baseball (unable to attend); Steve Van Houten, Levittown - South Wantagh Baseball; Glen Brannigan, Levittown West Little League; Jerry Marinan, Levittown Soccer Club; Skip Abrams, St. Bernard's Youth Basketball; Phil Goldberg, Island Trees Soccer Club; Nick Sguigna, Island Trees Baseball; Michael Vecchione, Levittown Senior League (unable to attend), Bert Mirenda, representing the Levittown Swimming Association and Thomas Mastroianni, Levittown Ice Hockey Club.

Congratulations to all the presidents of the Youth Council. The community thanks them for all of their hard work and dedication to local children.