LOWELL -- Inside the greater than 50 years that he was a member on the Kiwanis Club of Greater Lowell, Thomas G. Kelakos helped out countless organizations, in the YMCA plus the Boys and Girls Club towards the Going to Nurse Association, The Bartlett Junior Higher School, Lowell Higher School as well as the Helenic American School.
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"A large amount 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 as well as the Salvation Army Advisory Board gave him its William Booth Award. He was a terrific man," said Bob Howard, who served with Kelakos inside the Kiwanis Club before his death about a dozen years ago.
To honor Kelakos and his generosity, the Kiwanis named an award in his honor.
"This will likely be the 11th Thomas G. Kelakos Neighborhood Spirit Award," said Howard, chairman of the awards committee for the Kiwanis.
The 2013 award, that is to be offered out at a banquet Friday at Lenzi's Mill Home in Dracut, will go to John Chemaly and Gary Sepe of Trinity EMS, in honor of their accomplishment in following within the footsteps of Kelakos, founder on the Lowell MEDCO Dwelling Wellness Care medical-supply firm.
Howard mentioned Chemaly and Sepe have modeled the career of Kelakos through their company along with the several charitable contributions the successful endeavor has permitted them to make.
"Tom was just an incredible guy, so we're very honored to become inside the corporation of him and everybody who was honored before us," stated Chemaly, who founded Trinity EMS with Sepe 20 years ago.
Though Sepe mainly runs its operations, Chemaly represents the organization in its neighborhood relations and philanthropy, serving on the boards with the Higher Lowell Community Foundation, The Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union as well as the Middlesex Neighborhood College Foundation, and as president of your Massachusetts Ambulance Association as well as the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to speakers and citations from City Manager Bernie Lynch and Sen. Eileen Donoghue, the banquet functions dinner and dancing, with entertainment offered by the Adagio Lite Jazz Band.
Howard, who has served together with the Kiwanis for 15 years, said Chemaly and Sepe have been nominated by Jim and Effie Dragon, the latter of whom is Kelakos' niece and was familiar with the story of how her uncle helped the pair get started in their business enterprise.
"When we first began, we didn't have any credit and Tom called a few guys he was buddies with," said Chemaly, who met his business enterprise companion 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 Components in front of us and stated he'd back any credit Towers issued," he mentioned.
"We have been two young youngsters wen we started the ambulance business and Tom also named Jimmy Cooney (from the James L. Cooney Insurance coverage Agency) and he helped us out, too. That was just an excellent thing," added Gary Sepe, who worked as an EMT prior to meeting his business companion.
Tickets towards the banquet expense $60 each and every and may well be bought ahead of time by calling Howard at 978-459-0802. Everyone who cannot make it towards 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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