INDIANAPOLIS,
Ind.-Members of Kiwanis International are celebrating the organization's 95th
birthday today, Jan. 21, 2010. In 2009,
Kiwanis clubs worldwide donated more than six million volunteer hours and
raised more than US$100 million for community service, with a special emphasis
on helping young children.
The
first Kiwanis club was chartered January 21, 1915, in Detroit, Mich. Today,
Kiwanis has grown to more than 8,000 clubs and 240,000 members in 70
countries.
"People are struggling during these
troubled times," said Paul Palazzolo, Kiwanis International President. "Now,
more than ever, Kiwanis and its members are needed to help children and
families meet challenges, and to offer people an opportunity to help others."
Kiwanis,
headquartered in Indianapolis, provides numerous opportunities for people to
get involved, and numerous benefits to members-friendship, fellowship, business
networking-in addition to the service Kiwanis provides to children and
communities.
In
addition to adult members of Kiwanis, the international program also includes
Circle K International, for college and university students; Key Club International,
for high school students; Builders Club, for junior high and middle school
students, K-Kids, for elementary schools students; and Aktion Club, for adults
living with disabilities.
Kiwanis
International is searching for its next Worldwide Service Project, and its
International Board of Trustees recently heard proposals from issue experts and
advocates on four potential projects: malaria; maternal and neonatal tetanus;
tropical diseases; and education and literacy.
"This
is an exciting time to be a Kiwanian," said Palazzolo. "Even as we celebrate
the past, new things are happening in this organization every day and our
future is unlimited."
Other
Kiwanis programs include Kiwanis One Day, the first Saturday in April, when
Kiwanis and its family of clubs join forces with their communities for a day of
hands-on service, and Read Around the World, which encourages members to share with children the joy of books-from reading with them
to getting them books of their very own.
ABOUT KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL:
Founded in 1915, Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers
dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Kiwanis
International and its Service Leadership Programs for young people, including
Circle K, Key Club, Key Leader, Builders Club, K-Kids, Kiwanis Junior, and
Aktion Club, dedicate more than 19 million volunteer hours and invest US$100
million to strengthen communities and serve children annually. The Kiwanis
International family is composed of 600,000 adult and youth members in 15,000
clubs in more than 70 countries and geographic areas. Kiwanis members make
their mark by responding to the needs of their communities and pooling their
resources to address worldwide issues. Globally, Kiwanis International has
focused humanitarian efforts on eliminating iodine deficiency disorders (IDD)
through the Worldwide Service Project, a US$75 million campaign in partnership
with UNICEF, which began in 1994. For more information about Kiwanis
International, please visit www.kiwanis.org or call 800-KIWANIS.
Posted
Jan 21 2010, 12:03 PM
by
Chris Hayworth