The definition of giving

Le Mars, Iowa, U.S., Daily Sentinel
http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1475255.html

Every third grader in the county can tell you what “philanthropy” means. All they have to do is flip open their new dictionary to find it.

The Le Mars Kiwanis club handed out dictionaries to all third graders—more than 400—at Plymouth County schools this year. The Kiwanis club handed them out at Le Mars Community, Gehlen Catholic, Remsen Union, Remsen St. Mary's, Kingsley-Pierson, Hinton, and Akron-Westfield.

The Dictionary Project started in 2007 when the club gave dictionaries to all Le Mars Community and Gehlen Catholic School third graders.

“After it went so well, we decided to spread it out, so we contacted all the schools in the county,” said Kiwanian Jay King.

The project started as part of a larger effort sponsored by the regional Kiwanis group. In 2007, the Nebraska-Iowa District of Kiwanis made handing out dictionaries its project for the year.

The local Kiwanis club raises money for projects like this by running the donut shop at the Plymouth County Fair and holding pancake suppers. All money it makes and any donation it receives goes back to the community.

The Le Mars chapter gives out thousands of dollars every year, contributing to groups like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, the local ambulance services, the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, and 4-H. 

The Kiwanis club is always looking for new members. It meets at 7a.m. every Tuesday in the Floyd Valley Hospital conference room.

King said he was glad the club decided to carry on the Dictionary Project this year. Will it continue? King hopes so.

“This is something no one else is doing,” he said. “And our motto is to serve the children of the world, so this helps.”