Kiwanis donate thousands to Whidbey nonprofits

Kiwanis of South Whidbey gave out almost $6,000 to seven organizations late last week.

“I’m extremely proud of that, because a few months ago, we weren’t sure we’d be able to do that,” said Kiwanis of South Whidbey president Ron Myers.

More than a dozen Kiwanis members attended the meeting at Trinity Lutheran Church on Thursday afternoon for the scholarship potluck.

Helping Hand Executive Director Rosemary Martin received $1,200 for the nonprofit that assists families that struggle to pay their bills.

“It’s fabulous,” Martin said. “It’s just going to go right back into the community.”

The South End Kiwanis club was in danger of being absorbed into a larger group when membership dwindled. A recent surge in memb
ers, however, kept the club’s autonomy intact, allowing Myers and the other Kiwanis to disperse the funds raised from last year.

“It was really scary,” Myers said. “We were still able to collect some funds through the year and we upped our membership.”

Maintaining its status as a club, as well as being designated a distinguished club, allowed the Kiwanis to assist the recently reopened Pregnancy Care Clinic at Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Langley. New director Nancy Thompson said the clinic is seeking volunteers and will have an open house Dec. 1.

Other organizations which received checks were South Whidbey School District, Friends of Friends, Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse of Island County (CADA) and Relay for Life.

All of the groups were selected because of how they impact children’s lives. Kiwanis is a service club with a mission to serve and aid children.

“We are in it for the kids,” Myers said.

An extension of that purpose, and possibly the South Whidbey club’s most visible (and delicious) publicity, comes from operating the snack shack at South Whidbey High School sporting events. All money raised from sales at the stand go to the high school.

Plenty was raised last Friday during homecoming; $1,774 to be exact. It was such a good day for sale that the stand ran out of food.

“We cooked everything we could have possibly cooked,” Myers said. “They came just before halftime and definitely after.”

Contact South Whidbey Record Sports, South Whidbey School District, South Whidbey Fire/EMS Ben Watanabe at bwatanabe@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-221-5300.

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