Kiwanis Club members gather to provide service to the community
The Spanish Fork branch of the Kiwanis Club took to the streets of Spanish Fork to clean up trash on Oct. 24. They focused on the stretch of road between Intermountain Farmers of America and I-15.
Paul Webb, the Director of Community Services for the Spanish Fork branch, said that 35 kids (a historic number for the Spanish Fork branch) participated in the service project. He credits much of the event’s success to the energies of the Key Club advisors at the high schools. Together, they combed approximately two-and-a-half miles of road and filled more than 50 bags of trash within two hours.
Webb has only been the director of Community Services for a few months, but he expressed how much he enjoys it so far. He was recruited by Chad Bunn, who is the new governor of the Idaho/Utah chapter of Kiwanis. The Spanish Fork branch just celebrated it’s 100th anniversary this year, but the international organization is older than that.
The Kiwanis Club has been around since 1915. It is an international service club that has locations in more than 80 geographical areas and nations around the globe. Its headquarters are in Indianapolis, IN, and its mission is to improve the lives of children throughout the world.
Next year, Salt Lake has the privilege of hosting the International Kiwanis Club Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The event will be held on June 22 – June 26.
Webb explained that the Spanish Fork branch is fairly small, but he’s hoping to encourage more people to get involved. He said the club’s main goal is about “supporting and helping children and teaching them to become future leaders while giving them leadership and service opportunities now.”
The club has various service projects throughout the year, but they also work closely with local Key Clubs.
Each high school has a Key Club, which is basically the same thing as the Kiwanis Club, but for high schoolers. There is also a college version of the club, which is called the Circle K. The Kiwanis Club is for adults who want to continue serving their communities.
In addition to service projects, the Kiwanis Club also has fundraisers that go toward scholarships for youth. They host dinners and they also have a concession stand at the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo.
The Kiwanis Club is hosting an Outstanding Students event on Nov. 4-5. During this event, eight Key Club members from three local high schools (Salem Hills, Spanish Fork and Maple Mountain) will be selected and recognized for their exceptional service to their communities.
The club currently has some influential members (including Mike McKell, 2020 candidate for Utah State Senator and General Jefferson Burton, 2020 candidate for Utah House of Representatives) and is always welcoming new members. There is a one-time sign-up fee and a $12/month commitment that goes toward monthly dues. Club members are not required to participate in every service project and are welcome to pick and choose which projects they can attend. Webb encourages those who are interested in becoming part of this organization to contact Doug Lund, the Director of Membership for the area. He can be reached at 801-471-9220. (Peterson is a Serve Daily Contributor).
