October 9, 2025
Jack Diluna and his wife Donna relocated from Boston, Massachusetts to Edisto Island, SC in 2010. A retired Civil/Structural engineer, Jack worked at nuclear power plants in the Northeast. His wife Donna, a retired nurse, worked for the Veterans’ hospital system, MUSC, and Anthem Health. She was instrumental in setting up the free clinic on Edisto. The couple have two children and four grandchildren.
Jack met Geno when he began work on the playgrounds at Jane Edwards Elementary School on Edisto. Dismayed and surprised at what he saw as not just sub-standard equipment but fields that could scarcely be used as ballfields, the two vowed to do better. They knew other places — in Charleston County and South Carolina in general — had tremendous facilities, reflecting not only a commitment to the young people, but a respect and love for them as well.
So began a lifelong friendship and the impetus to form Edisto Island Youth Recreation (EIYR). Since 2016 the two men and a small band of volunteers have been working diligently to provide the young people of Edisto and neighboring rural communities the same opportunities to participate in a variety of sports that have always been available to young people throughout Charleston County. The all-volunteer group relies solely on donations and grants to provide everything young people need to participate in the sport they choose.
No child or parent is ever charged for anything.
Aside from their passion for children, the two men share another enduring passion for God and His Christian principles. Every meeting begins and ends with prayers of thanksgiving; for every success and milestone, echoes of “To God Be the Glory” can be heard reverberating through the walls, the emails, the texts and the phone calls.
To God Be the Glory!
