Thirty years is a long time to belong to a club, but it's nowhere near the end of the line for long-time Statesboro Kiwanis Club member Vince Galasso.
    Since joining the club in 1978, Galasso has been one of the most active members, and will be seen most every night on the fairgrounds during the upcoming week of Oct. 13-18 when the 47th Annual Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair rolls around.
    That devotion is the reason club members dedicated this year's "Fair Book" in Galasso's honor.
    The "Fair Book" is a guide to the annual fair, including contact numbers,  competition rules, daily schedules of events and other information that is available at numerous businesses throughout the community. Each year the book is dedicated to a club member who has demonstrated commitment and enthusiasm in club involvement.
    Galasso said he was overwhelmed by the honor.
    "There are some very fine people that have gotten that award and I'm not so sure I'm that deserving," he said. "Kiwanis is very important to me and I always try to be as good a Kiwanian as I could."
    He joined Kiwanis after being introduced to the club by members of a square dancing group he and wife Carol joined.  Soon he was very involved in club projects and has become one of the most visible and hardworking members on the club during the fair, according to club members.
    He served as club president in 1986-87 and received the club's Outstanding Leadership Award. In 200, he was inducted as a George F. Hixson Fellow, a prestigious honor for  the club.
    He served as fair chairman in 2002 and 2003 as well, and was voted as the 2002-2003 Kiwanian of  the Year because of his intense work and constant involvement, including responsibility for selling advertising space in the Fair book.
    But in spite of being responsible for selling ads for the book, Galasso was surprised by the honor of having this year's book dedicated to him.
    "It was a great honor and a surprise,: he said. "I was just kind of overwhelmed."
    His love for the club and what it does for the community is because of how club members focus on helping others, he said. "The Statesboro Kiwanis Club is the greatest civic club around here," he said. "There is no club around that lives up to Statesboro Kiwanis and what we do for the community."
    The Statesboro Kiwanis Club takes profits from the annual Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair and filters it back into the community through donations to various programs, agencies and causes.
    The fair begins Monday, Oct. 13, with a parade through downtown Statesboro beginning at 5 p.m., with the fairgrounds opening at 6 p.m.
    The fair ends Saturday night with no new admissions after 10 p.m., according to Statesboro Kiwanis members.