President Allisen Sargent, Mayor Sue McKortoff and former Miss Osoyoos Helen Powers cut the birthday cake to celebrate the Osoyoos Kiwanis Club’s 10th anniversary of serving the community. (Photo supplied)
For a small group of people, the Osoyoos Kiwanis Club has accomplished a great deal over the past decade.
With the local club recently celebrating its 10th anniversary in this community and the Kiwanis International proudly celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, Osoyoos Kiwanis Club president Allisen Sargent said it’s time to try and encourage more members to join.
Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, and became an international organization with the creation of the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton, Ontario, the following year.
Today there are nearly 600,000 members in 80 countries, and our members have made a positive impact in millions of lives.
“This all started just over 10 years ago when my sister, Lee Chic, told us that Osoyoos needed a Kiwanis club,” said Sargent. “I talked to a bunch of friends and business owners in Osoyoos and convinced enough of them to join and that’s how the Osoyoos Kiwanis Club came to be 10 years ago.
“We needed 20 members to become a chartered organization and that’s exactly how many we recruited, which is ironic because that’s the most members our local club has ever had in the 10 years since. We have 15 right now and we’re hoping to attract a few more members as we celebrate all of the good work we’ve done over the past 10 years in Osoyoos.’
Kiwanis clubs, located in 80 nations, help their communities in countless ways, said Sargent.
Each community’s needs are different, so each Kiwanis club is different. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone, she said.
“Our focus is to help make our community a better place to live, but there has always been a special focus on helping children and that won’t ever change,” she said.
When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive, great things happen, she said.
Some of the programs established by the Osoyoos Kiwanis Club over the past decade include:
Raising money to pay for a scholarship for a graduating student from Osoyoos Secondary School.
Developing an Action Club to assist developmentally challenged residents in Osoyoos and Oliver.
Holding annual spring and Christmas craft shows to raise money to support various local programs. Much of the proceeds go towards the Osoyoos Food Bank.
Establishing the Terrific Kids program at Osoyoos Elementary School as well as at elementary schools in Keremeos, Midway, Greenwood, Rock Creek and Beaverdell.
Establishing the annual Toys for Tots to Teens with Smitty’s Family Restaurant in Osoyoos. Dozens of local families benefit as local residents drop off toys at Smitty’s two weeks before Christmas.
For a small group of people, the amount of good work done by the Osoyoos Kiwanis Club is something every single member over the past decade is very proud of, said Sargent.
“We’re very proud to have established programs that make a real difference in the quality of life of the people who live in Osoyoos,” she said. “We get great community support from the people who live here and we hope we can continue to help the community for many years to come.”
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, local members invited fellow Kiwanis Club members from Summerland, Vernon, Kelowna, Oliver, Penticton and Omak, Wash. to a special dinner at McKia’s Restaurant in Osoyoos a couple of weeks ago, said Sargent.
Kiwanis members stage nearly 150,000 service projects and raise nearly $100 million every year for communities, families and projects.
Kiwanis members don’t just do service—they have fun. Members make new friends by being part of a club where they attend meetings and participate in social events. Kiwanis clubs also provide excellent networking opportunities for professionals. Members meet new people from all over their region and the world through service projects, fundraising and by attending district and international conferences, she said.
The club is always looking for new members and anyone interested can contact membership drive leader Donna Kelso at 250-495-7701.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
