Courtesy photo
Westfield Residents Receive Rotary Awards
Submitted by Dr. D. Michael Hart
Ray Kostyack of The Rotary Club of Westfield was awarded the F. Matty Mathewson Rotarian of the Year Award; and Westfield resident Darielle Walsh was given the Jean Harris Award by Rotary International District 7475.
The F. Matty Mathewson award was established in 1982 to recognize and honor those Rotarians in the district who have, over a period of time, best exemplified Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self” and earning this award is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a Rotarian by the district.
Jean Harris was the wife of Rotary Founder Paul Harris. This award honors her memory and is presented to a non-Rotarian who exemplifies Service Above Self volunteerism in the community.
“It’s remarkable that both awards this year came back to the Westfield club,” Westfield Club President Tony LaPorta said. “Rotarians, and the people of Westfield, are people of action. We’re proud to recognize Ray and Darielle for all their work in the community.”
Ray was introduced to Rotary in the 1990’s when he helped organized a fundraising high school basketball tournament to support The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless and enlisted Elizabeth NJ Rotarians to assist at the event and provide sponsorship funds. The event became one of highest profile tournaments in the country over 24 years, hosting nationally top ranked teams and players, many who have gone on to star in the NBA, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. These funds supported transitional housing, educational programs and summer camp for the homeless of the community.
Joining Westfield Rotary in 1998, became a trustee on the board from 2005 to 2009, Club president in 2010, and chair of the Rotary Club Foundation in 2001. The Foundation manages over 1.5 million in assets, awards $100,00 in scholarships and $30,000 in community grants each year.
In his previous career, Ray worked in his father’s restaurant and catering business and he uses his love of cooking and experience in event planning at fundraising events. The Westfield Rotary’s signature event is the annual Pancake Day/Breakfast with the Bands, where he has prepared food, overseen the kitchen and arranged donations from food vendors for 24 years, raising $10,000 to $15,000 annually.
For 28 years, Ray along with fellow Rotarians, friends, neighbors and family members have prepared complete Thanksgiving dinners for 8-10 families and delivered them to those in Elizabeth who are living in shelters & motels without kitchens. Then he goes home and cooks for his family.
Ray became involved in all of the clubs many activities, including the Pedals for Progress annual bike collection, which has surpassed 1500 bikes for 24 years, and the Backpack program, where backpacks of food essentials are brought to the schools on Friday afternoons and given to students that have food insecurity at home on weekends.
Westfield Rotary has for many years coordinated a collection called “2nd lunch Tuesday” with the town’s 6 elementary school’s Early Act programs. The kids are asked to bring a second sandwich for lunch and parent volunteers pick up and deliver them to St. Joseph’s Social Service Center in Elizabeth (sister agency to the Elizabeth Coalition). Hundreds of sandwiches were collected weekly.
Then Covid hit. Schools were closed so donations ceased; subsidized lunches in Elizabeth also ended. The demand for food in Elizabeth was greater than ever. Rotary publicized that sandwich donations along with non-perishable food would be collected at Ray’s house, and he and other volunteers delivered thousands of sandwiches and bags of food to Elizabeth for the next year and a half.
Ray is a member of the Optimist Club of Westfield, serving as a board member and club president in 2016, and is dedicated to the organization’s community service grants and projects that focus on the development of youth.
He is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors in Westfield where he lives with his wife Maria, proud parents of Michelle & Mark, recent college grads.
Darielle has been active in the community for over 40 years as a volunteer and professional working with non-profit organizations. She is an organizational consultant providing training and board development solutions specializing in governance, leadership and effectiveness. A community builder, her leadership skills, expertise and professional services, enable her to assist local, regional and national non-profits to maximize their potential, serve their communities and develops stronger organizations.
Darielle has served many local community organizations in leadership positions including nine years on the Westfield Board of Education, three years as President; thirteen years on the Westfield Municipal Planning Board and member of the Westfield Municipal Town Council. She served as President of the Westfield Rotary Club, Westfield Education Fund and Junior Women’s Club; Trustee of the Westfield Foundation, Westfield United Fund and Union County College Foundation; Secretary of the Westfield Main-Street Program, and Westfield Downtown Committee.
She has been a member of the Westfield Area Y Board of Directors since 1993. She served four years as Board Chair and continues in a leadership role as Secretary and Capital Campaign Chair. In 2000, she received the Y’s “Golden Volunteer Award” for dedicated service to the Westfield Area Y and the youth of the community. She served three terms as the Chair of the YUSA National Assembly Conference. Her local YMCA involvement earned her a position on the YMCA-USA National Board of Directors.
A member of the Optimist Club of Westfield since 1999, she has been President for five years and is dedicated to the organization’s projects that focus on the positive development of youth. In addition to community service grants, the Optimist Club annual projects include the Westfield Halloween Parade, Intermediate School Teacher Awards, Youth Volunteer Scholarship Awards, and holiday food distribution.
She served four years as Board President and is Secretary of the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce. She was the recipient of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce “Faith in Westfield Community Service Award” and Caring Contact’s “Gerald Glasser Community Partnership Award.” As a recipient of “The Woman of Excellence Award” by the Union County Commission on the Status of Women, Darielle was recognized for her volunteerism and dedication to community service.
Darielle and her husband Michael live in Westfield. Married for 53 years, they have two married sons and five grandchildren.
Both Ray and Darielle pointed to their parents as setting examples for volunteering and giving back to their communities.
“My parents always said ‘Work had, do good, give back, be grateful’,” Darielle said in accepting the award.
The Rotary Club of Westfield meets the first three Tuesdays of each month for lunch at noon, at Limani Seafood Grill on North Ave. Guests are always welcome. For information check out the website westfieldrotary.com or contact club secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart by email at drmhart@yahoo.com
