The Kiwanis Club of Lakewood has always been ready to help a person and a community in need. The heart of our support resides in our committees. Ranging from Youth Services to Agriculture to International Understanding, our committees work hard to enrich and empower not only our community but also our entire world.
| Agriculture/Ecology | Fund Raising | Interclubs | International Relations/Understanding | Key Club/Builders Clubs | Spiritual Aims/Support of Spiritual Values | Sports | Youth Services | Young Children: Priority One | Vocational Guidance |
Kiwanis Club of Lakewood Home Page |
In a city such as Lakewood, one would think it would be difficult to find meaningful projects in the field of agriculture. However, Lakewood Kiwanis has always done its share to recognize the conservation of our natural resources and the ecological balance. Over the years, we have welcomed guests from various farmlands throughout Ohio, boys and girls from 4H Clubs, and taken tours of dairies and greenhouses. In 1956 this committee purchased and planted trees in Lakewood Park.
In the late 1940's and early 50's our members planted and grew potatoes on the productive land of several club members. Since the early 1960's, we have sponsored the "Kiwanis Seed Program," distributing seeds and plants to grade school children. Summer youth gardens are inspected by our members and prizes awarded to the winning children at our annual summer luncheon at Lakewood Park.
For over a decade the Agriculture Committee was honored by the city of Lakewood for its continued maintenance of the "Kiwanis Island," located at the corner of Warren and Franklin Roads. Beginning in 1985, the Kiwanis "K" logo consisted of 1,856 yellow marigolds and blue petunias. Today, the island still carries on its original beauty. The Lakewood Kiwanis Club now maintains a garden in Lakewood Park near the Women’s Pavilion.
Top of Page Since our start in 1921, the Fund Raising Committee has been the backbone of the club's operation. It has always been the policy of The Kiwanis Club of Lakewood to finance its many community activities through find raising projects that drew upon the talents and cooperation of each and every member.
In the 1940's, our White Elephant or Rummage Sales typically generated close to $2,000 a year. Minstrel and Talent Shows were held at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium and not only derived good financial returns, but also provided an outlet for the youth of Lakewood to display their talents. In 1955 Lakewood Kiwanis was able to bring NBC's
"Horace Heidt Show" to the new Civic Auditorium for broadcast before a national audience.
National Kids' Day started in 1952, and our Peanut Sale was very successful for more than a dozen years. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Campfire Girls, members of the YMCA and YWCA all took part in helping to sell peanuts door-to-door, and shared in the profits.
Old gold was collected and sold for many years, and other goods such as candy, nuts and American flags still sell very well.
The club has also sponsored The Air Force Band, The Navy Band, Barber Shop Quartets, and the Halle Organ Ensemble. "Donkey Baseball" was always an entertaining project as well as several benefit basketball games between celebrities and school faculty.
Our affiliation with "The Group" began in 1969 and had annually become a major fund raiser for the club. "The Group Show" was first staged in Lakewood High School's Tryout Theater until moving to the Civic Auditorium where it currently performs.
Lakewood Kiwanians are asked to "roll up their sleeves" in many different ways throughout the year for such projects as Hot Dog Sales, the Spaghetti Dinner, and our annual Donut Sale. More than 2,000 dozen fresh donuts are made and sold by Lakewood Kiwanis members every October, providing a tasty autumn treat to the community.
For more than 20 years, Kiwanis clubs have been permitted to hold lotteries, raffles, drawings and other games of chance. Our club has responded by creating the "Reverse Raffle," a highly successful event since 1994.
From sales of bologna and cheese to the current fundraisers of Entertainment Book and Kiwanis Calendar Sales, Pancake Breakfasts, Spaghetti Dinners, Donut Making and Sales in October, and Clambakes, Lakewood Kiwanians have accepted the challenge of fund raising, delivering new and innovative ideas designed to further strengthen our club's Activities Accounts.
Top of Page Year after year, Lakewood Kiwanis has taken great pride and interest in Interclub activities.
However, the longest-standing and most enjoyed Interclub has been the annual get together with our neighbors from the West Park Kiwanis Club. In 1932, both clubs were seeking new and exciting ways to expand their Interclub schedules. Since our meetings took place at the same time and date, a luncheon at alternating locations provided the solution as well as a friendly rivalry. Past Lt. Governor Bill Landphair, a member of the West Park club, donated the "Cowbell" trophy, and the competition was underway. The trophy was presented to the club having the highest percentage of members in
attendance. Throughout its history, the Cowbell has traveled back and forth between locations dozens of times, but the main objective has always remained intact: an opportunity to share lunch, ideas and Kiwanis fellowship.For many years, our club made the journey across town to visit with members of the West Cleveland Club. In the 1940's and 50's we would fill a bus and travel to Elyria and East Cleveland.
While many new clubs were being organized during the 1950's, Lakewood Kiwanis faithfully turned out to welcome our new friends.
We have participated in many Division and District sponsored Interclubs, ranging from the "Traveling Gavel" in 1948 to the annual "Official Visit of the Ohio District Governor," frequently held at Wagner's Country Inn in Westlake. Lakewood Kiwanis has long been a leader in the Division, regularly completing two rounds of Interclubs per year.
In 1956 and 1957, club members enjoyed two days of fishing and golf hosted by the Warren, Pennsylvania club. Seven Kiwanis attended the Golden Anniversary of Kiwanis, which took place in Detroit in 1965. In 1967, over forty members and guests took a plane trip to Toronto, Canada where they were met by Kiwanians, toured the city, and dined at the Casa Loma Castle before returning home.
Since then, Lakewood Kiwanis has made several other trips to Canada, and has also participated in Interclubs in New York, Michigan and throughout many portions of Ohio.
Top of Page International Relations/Understanding
The Kiwanis Club of Lakewood works very hard to broaden our borders, reaching out to other countries to improve our own understanding of the world.
Videotapes of club meetings, Kiwani-grams, "pen pal" letters, holiday gifts and more have all been sent to clubs in England, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Mexico and many other far-off destinations.
Financial support was provided to "Project Water Well," a program that provided clean water to the Philippines. We have sponsored underprivileged children in South America. Thousands of books have been mailed to Thailand and Nigeria to facilitate the building of libraries.
Volunteers from our International Relations Committee welcomed foreign sailors docked in Cleveland, greeting our out-of-town friends with magazines, shopping trips and game tickets. We have supported Lakewood High School's affiliation with the American Field Service, inviting exchange students to speak about their experiences here in our country.
In June 1996, our committee sent one Lakewood High School junior to participate in the International Affairs Conference in Wisconsin. This student then made a presentation to our club next fall, and shared his experience with fellow students at home.
Also in 1996, Kiwanis International continued to make great progress in its goal to virtually eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorder throughout the world by the year 2000. Iodine Deficiency is the world's leading cause of preventable mental disability with more than 1.5 billion people, mainly children, at risk. Lack of iodized salt in the human diet also causes mental and physical impairment, stillbirth and goiter. The IDD campaign was Kiwanis International's first worldwide service project.
As Kiwanis becomes more of a global organization, our International Committee has continued in its efforts to create better international awareness within our club and community.
Top of Page An essential ingredient to the overall success of Lakewood Kiwanis, is that which the
young people of our Kiwanis family provide. Since its charter in March 1978, we have proudly sponsored the Key Club at Lakewool High School. The Charter Party included fifteen Key Club members and 115 Kiwanians. St. Edward’s High School has recently started a Key Club.
Presently, Key Club is actively involved in a number of community projects ranging from visiting nursing homes to helping out at child day care centers. The club raises its own money through car washes, the "mile of pennies" campaign that benefits the holiday food basket project, and Valentine's Day carnation sales.The organization is run strictly by student leaders, with the guidance of a faculty advisor and Lakewood Kiwanians. These young men and women are elected each year from among their fellow club members, and are responsible for conducting weekly meetings, participating in leadership training seminars, and attending annual District and International conventions. Today, more than 150,000 young men and women belong to Key Club in more than 4,000 high schools across the United States and Canada, and a growing number of other nations.
For many years, Builders Clubs have also played a meaningful role in the Kiwanis family. Consisting of 6th through 8th grade boys and girls, these young people are also responsible for selecting leaders, running their own meetings, and organizing and executing their own fund raising campaigns. Assistance is also provided by faculty and Kiwanis advisors.
The Kiwanis Club of Lakewood is currently sponsoring a Builders Club at Harding Middle School.Key Club and Builder Clubs eagerly participate in Lakewood Kiwanis activities as well, helping to further develop their community service message.
Spiritual Aims/Support of Spiritual Values
The Kiwanis Club of Lakewood has always been proud of its support for churches in the community. In addition to selecting a different club member to deliver the invocation each week, this committee also sponsors and promotes the annual Lenten Breakfast Series. The series was created to foster a renewal of spiritual dedication, and to provide a common meeting ground for men and women of all faiths. It features a guest speaker from among the religious community to deliver a message each Wednesday morning during Lent.
Years ago, our club promoted devotional breakfasts at the club and division level, mostly held at the Kiwanis Lodge in the Metroparks, Camp Cheerful in Strongsville and at Lakewood Park.
Speakers have also been welcomed for Thanksgiving, the annual Christmas program, Easter, and other religious holidays. Religious books have been given to the Lakewood Public Library. Church directories are printed, and members of the clergy are invited to attend a luncheon meeting once a year to be honored by the club.
Top of Page In addition to the tremendous service our club provides, Kiwanis membership has enjoyed a variety of sports related activities and events.
For dozens of years, bowling was a very popular sport among the membership. In 1929, the Service Club Bowling League was formed, and Lakewood Kiwanis customarily fielding two or three teams each year. The club always placed at or near the top of the league, with the 1980 team winning the championship paced by 75 year old Rol Buchan and 85 year old Frank Gibson.
Golf has long been a favorite of club members, as the Sports Committee to this day arranges for weekly golf outings at various courses throughout the summer. Dinner and an awards ceremony follow each "tournament".
For most of our 75 years, "Golf every Wednesday" had been a staple of summer, and we also had been well represented at the Ohio District Tournament year after year, not only in golf but also in bowling.
Sports play an integral role in our club, providing fellowship through such activities as baseball, basketball and hockey games, fishing excursions, and even football trips by way of train or bus to Ohio State games in Columbus.
Top of Page Youth Services
(Boys and Girls/Underprivileged Child Committee)Since early on, children have been the main focus of our club. Projects included the popular marble tournament between 1947 and 1957. Athletic Achievement Day for Girls was initiated in 1949, as each girl athlete was awarded a Kiwanis Charm Bracelet. On several occasions, we raised money for the donation of new band uniforms to Lakewood High School. In 1968, at a cost of $3,800, our club sent the 100-piece band to Toronto to perform at the Kiwanis International Convention. For many years, boys and girls' baseball teams were sponsored in the Lakewood Recreation program.
From 1954-58 we initiated a project to raise $15,000 for the Youth room at the new Lakewood YMCA building, and supported their drive to raise $8,000 for a new gymnasium.We have helped mentally handicapped students and teachers by establishing a grant program that made funds available for teachers to attend professional workshops and develop special classroom curriculum. This program was used as a model by area school systems in the mid-1970's. The sponsorship of National Kids' Day, beginning in 1952, featured a very successful peanut sale.
Lakewood Kiwanis has also been active around the holiday season, participating in the Toys for Tots Campaign, leading the "Christmas for Kids" project in 1992 that benefited hundreds of needy children in Lakewood, and raising thousands of dollars to support the annual Coats for Kids Campaign.
For the past several years, our Youth Services Committee, in tandem with Young Children: Priority One has sponsored the "Family Focus" parenting series, a program that regularly attracts standing-room only crowds. In 1993, the Punt Throw & Kick Competition was created, in conjunction with the Ohio District, to offer boys and girls ages 8-15 the opportunity to display their football skills. Trophies and ribbons wereawarded to winners in each age group, and first-place contestants are invited to compete at the District and State levels.
Each year we have been proud to sponsor a deserving Lakewood High School sophomore to the annual Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminar. H.O.B.Y. gave these youngsters the chance to interact with other students of their own age in workshops and role-playing, all designed to improve their leadership skills.
Other notable projects include: sponsorship of the Power Weekend, a drug-free awareness program geared toward middle school students; the Boy Scouts Recognition and Awards Dinner; Career Days for students of all age groups; the Musical Instruments for Kids Campaign; yearly contributions to the Circle K Outreach Program; tutoring programs at middle schools which utilize the talents of many club members, sponsoring of the Lakewood High School Ranger Relays; providing volunteers for the annual "Children's Miracle Network Telethon," and sending handicapped children to camp.
In 1976-77 our Good Citizenship Sharer Program provided 3rd through 5th grade boys and girls in all ten elementary schools an instructional program, endorsed by the Lakewood Board of Education, which focused upon the importance of good citizenship in the home, school and community.
From our Junior Kiwanian of the Month to today's Star Student Program, Lakewood Kiwanis has always striven to do the best possible work to recognize the needs of young people in our community.
Top of Page Young Children: Priority One (YC:PO)
Originally known as Major Emphasis, The Kiwanis Club of Lakewood, along with Kiwanis International, has looked to new and creative ways to benefit young people. As Major Emphasis, time, money, and energy was devoted to a single issue such as "Operation Drug Alert," a nationally recognized program adopted at the Kiwanis International Convention in 1968. Lakewood Kiwanis, in conjunction with the Lakewood P.T.A., led the charge, creating the Community Drug Alert Conference, held January 29, 1970 at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium. The meeting attracted some 2,000 young people and adults, and helped pave the way for the formation of the Lakewood Drug Action Committee.
In 1977, "Safeguard Against Crime" was the Major Emphasis focus that year. Speakers presented programs pertaining to this subject, and weekly safety tips were presented in the Kiwani-Gram.
Donations have also included a mannequin for educational use in CPR classes, and time and money given toward the creation of the Lakewood Community Care Center.
In the early 1990's, Kiwanis International sought to create a continuing program that would serve the extraordinary needs of children prenatal to age 5, and named this effort "Young Children: Priority One." Today, YC:PO devotes its full amount of energy and resources toward helping children in this age group develop to their full potential. This program focuses on four areas in particular: maternal and child health, child care and development, parent education and support, safety programs, and pediatric trauma care.
Our Young Children: Priority One Committee provides smoke detectors to new parents, supports the annual Early Childhood Conference for Lakewood child care givers, and has purchased computer software to assist in the further development of an immunization program in the city of Lakewood.YC:PO also sponsors "Growing Healthy Together," a substance abuse prevention program featuring club members, geared toward pre-school and kindergarten children.
Work continues today in many different areas, directing Kiwanis support to many worthwhile causes that assist the young people of our community.
Top of Page The Vocational Guidance Committee has been an important asset to the young people of the community. In addition to providing much needed grants to furthering the education of young adults, Lakewood Kiwanis has provided useful information and resources for high school students looking toward their future. Career Days have been successful over the years, and in 1969 we established an Employment Center at Lakewood High School to help students secure summer and part time employment. Our members have frequently made themselves available in their offices or other places of business to students wishing to learn more about a particular vocation.
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