Vinton offers High Fives

In September, the Vinton Kiwanis Club participated in the "Friday High Five" event at Tilford Elementary in Vinton. This was an event to welcome students and staff to school on Friday morning. It put smiles on the faces of all involved!

On Aug. 4, Vinton was the home for the Iowa Pyrotechnics state convention and giant fireworks extravaganza. The community celebrates this event and calls it Boomfest/Boomtown. During the event, the Kiwanis Club of Vinton held its annual Boomtown 5k/1 mile fun run raising money for the Vinton/Shellsburg Community Schools Backpack Program, which provides weekend nutritious food for needy students.

The highlight of the 5K race was Ryan Tresnak, who was representing Vinton Fareway Meat and Grocery Store. Ryan ran pushing a grocery cart that contained three 40-pound bags of salt. Each bag represented a grocery cart that was filled with donated grocery items purchased by shoppers at the store. It was estimated over $400 of groceries were donated. 

The Kiwanis club, with entry fees and local business sponsorships, was able to donate an additional $1,250 for the backpack program. In addition to Ryan pushing the grocery cart, there was also celebrity runner “Forest Gump” who came from the Cedar Rapids area to support the cause.

Submitted by Tom Husnik, Vinton Kiwanis Club secretary

Mason City-River City Club stays busy all summer

The Mason City-River City Kiwanis Club had a very busy summer, filled with many projects to help support the kids of North Iowa.

The annual Fly-In Breakfast was held at the Mason City Airport on May 20 and saw the largest crowd yet! With beautiful weather, there were over 70 volunteers, including Builders Club kids, serve up pancakes, eggs, ham and coffee. As a joint project completed with the Clear Lake Kiwanis Club, the event served 952 people, a 23% increase from the previous year. 

While the clubs flipped pancakes, scrambled eggs and served meals, Builders Club kids kept the tables cleared and cleaned for the next patrons. The K-Kids got involved too, as they raised money selling lemonade for families recently impacted by the Kirk Apartment fire.

Trees were planted to honor two Kiwanians in the club for their efforts in bringing a large building project to life for Mason City High School. Members Dan Long and Phil Johnson worked tirelessly to see this project be successful for students in Mason City. A third tree was planted at Kiwanis Park in memorial of Builders Club Member John-Mikal McLuer. A small memorial gathering was held with fellow Builders Club members and John-Mikal’s mother in attendance to plant the tree in his memory.

Memorial Day weekend saw the club’s annual parade entry for the 84th annual North Iowa Band Festival Parade. The Builders Club kids also cleaned up the parade route at the completion of the parade and concluded with a pizza party to celebrate. The annual Chicken Barbecue, held June 24, was another huge success, full of fun, lightning, thunder, rain, the smell of barbecue chicken cooking and everyone with a smile on their face as they laughed. The event served over 2,800 meals!

Most recently, members completed the annual Garage Sale to wrap up summer events. While numbers are still being finalized, it was another outstanding event. Many donations for the event were collected throughout the year from many generous community members, stored in the club’s warehouse, and sold to support kids programs in North Iowa.

Submitted by Dana Thomas, Mason City-River City Kiwanis Club

Lincoln Southeast helps with backpacks

"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today." These words by Malcolm X during a speech in 1964 ring true 60 years later. Lincoln Southeast Kiwanis helps young people gain their passport to a successful future through its annual back-to-school backpack distribution.

What began as a project to distribute 50 backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies nearly two decades ago has grown to provide more than 230 backpacks annually to students in grades Pre-K to 12. With Food Fort, a Lincoln-based nonprofit as a partner, club members join them at their neighborhood back-to-school events. which are held in the Clinton, West Lincoln and Saratoga neighborhoods.

Club volunteers shop for all the materials, fill the backpacks with supplies and attend the Food Fort events to distribute the backpacks along with good wishes for a successful year.

This great project involves the entire club and it's a blessing to see the joy on children's faces as they look forward to a new school year prepared with the supplies they will need to find academic success.

This year, distribution dates were Aug. 7, 8, and 9 at the three Lincoln locations. 

Submitted by LuAnn Davis, Lincoln Southeast Kiwanis Club 

Kearney Kiwanis Club helps with coat project

Various volunteer organizations, including the Kearney Kiwanis Club, assisted in the Koats for Kids project. 

Volunteers helped organize, sort and distribute over 900 coats to families in the area. (Photo courtesy of the Kearney Area United Way) 

Submitted by Lou Maxson, Kearney Kiwanis Club

Atlantic club adds to project list

Kiwanis Club of Atlantic has added another project to its list. The Atlantic Police Department approached the club about their abandoned bicycles, all needing a “little work”.

Two local businesses were contacted and immediately got on board and offered bike parts at wholesale. A tire business will donate new tires/tubes as needed. Another business offered free storage space. The club has members with the knowledge and skill to repair and repaint these bikes. The plan is to give some bikes to children who need them at Christmas time and again in April during the Bike Helmet program. Every year for the past 27 years, the club gives bike helmets to every third grader in the county, including home school students. These bikes will be given by the police, thereby fostering positive bond. Club members are excited about this new adventure!

In August, the club held its 40th Corn Boil, a social gathering celebrating Iowa’s sweet corn. The club’s oldest member—in years and membership—led the gathering as was only right as he started the celebration. Jim Casson is 92.5 old and is a 49-year member!

Members also had another “First” experience that brought joy. The club was contacted by Make A Wish Foundation about installing playground equipment for a handicap child in the county. Although it took almost two years for the equipment to come, members remained ready to get the project done. In the meantime, Atlantic Rotary asked if there was any assistance needed on projects. This was an opportunity for both clubs to provide service. On Sept 8, the equipment came and Kiwanis and Rotary members installed the playground in the parents’ yard. A local business furnished bottled water for the workers. Another business brought them lunch. This brought so much joy to the child, and, of course, the parents, and the two clubs.

On Sept 9, club members headed to Hamburg to help them celebrate their “Century of Service” at their Popcorn Days parade. District dignitaries, Division 17 members, and Atlantic Kiwanians served about 300 hot dogs that day.

The Kiwanis New Year started off with an opportunity to participate in a community/bike event. Atlantic’s Parks and Rec Department held its annual Tour de Park event. This is a 10-mile bike ride touring all the parks in Atlantic that started and ended in the City Park. The club had its blue concession trailer ready and gave free hot dogs to riders as they finished their tour. This also gave members an opportunity to talk about the bike helmet program and the latest bike adventure.

Submitted by Janice Brown, Atlantic Kiwanis Club secretary

Submitted by Janice Brown, Atlantic Kiwanis Club secretary 

North Platte Club joins Rotarians for pancakes



The North Platte Kiwanis club set up the grill and cooked pancakes at the Lincoln County Museum on Sept. 23. Approximately 200 people were served. Members of the Sunrise Rotary Club were also helping with the project. One member of Rotary is the official for mixing the batter.

This is a joint project of the North Platte Kiwanis Club and Sunrise Rotary Club for raising funds for the museum. The Lincoln County Museum does not receive any funds from the county for the museum. 

Submitted by Rex Cross, North Platte Kiwanis Club secretary 

Aktion Club, Johnston Kiwanians take part in game night



The Aktion Club of Des Moines recently held its Annual Fall BBQ Game Night. Judging by the smiles, laughter and chatter while playing games and silence once everyone sat down to eat dinner, the event was a success. The Aktion Club is sponsored by the Johnston Kiwanis Club.

Submitted by Teresa Rotschafer, Johnston Kiwanis Club