Kim DiMatteo Named Bethany Citizen of the Year

The Bethany Democratic Town Committee announced that Kim DiMatteo is the 2011 Citizen of the Year. DiMatteo is a lifelong resident of Bethany who has devoted herself to the planning, implementation, and development of the Bethany Family Harvest Festival and expanded it into a town-wide event for people of all ages.  

“I am honored to be chosen as the Citizen of the Year,” DiMatteo said. “I am honored to live in Bethany and be a part of such a great community.”  

“If you are around someone who has lots of enthusiasm, energy and has the ability to get things done,” First Selectman Derrylyn Gorski said, “you are probably in the company of Kim DiMatteo.”  

DiMatteo grew up on Fairwood Road and attended the Bethany Community School and Amity Junior and Senior High Schools.  Her mother, Lucy Caruso, and her two siblings still live in Bethany. After leaving the area for college, she married John DiMatteo and moved back to Bethany. She and John live here with their three children.  

DiMatteo always knew that she would bring her family to Bethany.  
“This is a special community” she said, “where anyone can make a difference and everyone really cares about one another.”  

Bethany Family Day Harvest Festival evolved over a period of years from “Connecticut Family Day” which started in the mid 1990s as a way for families to spend more time together. After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Bethany Family Day became, in effect Bethany’s "Day of Caring." With sponsorship from local businesses, residents of Bethany enjoy a day of free fun. DiMatteo explained that after Kris Sullivan, who was already active in Girl and Boy Scouts as well as chair of the Family Day event for years, stepped down due to family commitments, she decided to get involved.  She wanted everyone in town to participate. Her initial goal was to provide a showcase – not only for all of the businesses in town, but for all of the clubs and organizations, as well.  She wanted people in town to know what Bethany had to offer.  

DiMatteo also saw Family Day as a way to give back to the community. She sought sponsors so that no one would pay for food, animal rides, activities, games and crafts.  Her goal was to celebrate all that was great about Bethany and to include families of all sizes and configurations, including young children, teens, seniors, and people without children. Two years ago Bethany Family Day expanded under Kim’s guiding hand to the “Bethany Family Harvest Festival.” This was done by combining the Bethany Family Day with the Bethany Park and Recreation Harvest Festival.  

John DiMatteo, Kim’s husband, said that his wife does this in order to give something back to the community she loves. Kim DiMatteo said that she feels fortunate for all that she has and she believes it is important to instill in her children the need to work together as a family and the desire to contribute to the community in which you live. 

DiMatteo’s other activities have included being room mother for 10 years and volunteering at the school, delivering Easter baskets to area homeless shelters, and playing powder puff football to raise money for charity. She also runs the DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation which supports, among other things, Swim Across the Sound.

DiMatteo spends her Saturdays at Wakonda Farm in Bethany, teaching therapeutic riding to special needs children.

When DiMatteo is not volunteering, she works full-time at DiMatteo Insurance where she is a principle. A member of the Board of Directors of the Home Builder’s Association for the past 20 years, Kim writes a quarterly article for the Connecticut Builder Magazine.  DiMatteo Insurance received the Community Service of the Year Award this year for their work remodeling a residential property associated with the Kennedy Center in Bridgeport.  DiMatteo was recently named Woman of the Year for Fairfield County.

Kim DiMatteo will be honored at the all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Supper March 26 where the Citizen of the Year award will be presented. The event at Bethany Town Hall is at 6 p.m. Adults are $12, seniors $8 and children $6. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling 393-0350.