A lot of thought and planning went into the formation of the Kiwanis Club in Hurley. The District Lt. Governor initially contacted the school Superintendent and other community leaders and the East Central Civic Association to determine the need and climate of the community. Once it was determined that Hurley was a perfect site for a Kiwanis Club, Kiwanis International and two local neighboring Kiwanis Clubs came to Hurley and extended Hurley an invitation to join.
“We
knew that Kiwanis was an organization that focused on children but when we realized that Kiwanis is the sponsor for service leadership clubs in schools
like Key club in High School, Builder’s Club in Middle School and K Kids in Elementary school, we knew that we wanted to create those clubs here in Hurley,” said Shelly Brockway, President of East Central Kiwanis.
At first, they thought about sponsoring a Key club at the local high school. But in order to do that a Kiwanis club would have to be created as well. So, their need really was simple. “In order to help our children with service and leadership opportunities, we would have to have a Kiwanis club here to foster that initiative. There are other leadership and scholarship opportunities for students throughout the Kiwanis family such as Key Leader program, Bug (Bring Up Grades) and Terrific Kids programs as well. Also, there is a tremendous need for various outreach programs for children in our area,” Brockway said.
Since its inception, Kiwanis has held eight club meetings, as well as several Officer
and Director meetings. “Our meetings consist of programs and speakers that help us gather knowledge to
assist in our efforts of helping children. We also recognize community leaders for their achievements on behalf of children in our meetings. We have food, fun and fellowship.”
Brockway says they have experienced overwhelming support from people in the community. She is proud to claim an increase in membership of 49 members, from an initial roster of 25, which is inclusive of business owners, bankers, teachers, local and state leaders, librarians, moms, dads and grandparents. “We
believe this is a great accomplishment for a new club located in a small community.”
Kiwanis Club has a couple of future projects planned. One is the 1st Annual Pancake
breakfast on November 24th at Sassy’s Restaurant in Hurley. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be on site and photos will be available for purchase. This will be the signature fundraiser for Kiwanis Club and it’s hoped that it will
give them the funding they need for upcoming service projects in the community. Also, their Key Club, which is represented by East Central High School students, is currently working on a beautification project as well as a luncheon for local law enforcement, firefighters and medics.
The Kiwanis Club is considered a community partner and they have partnered with one of the established community groups, East Central Civic Association, with their annual Old Fashion Day Event. As a matter of fact, Kiwanis Club has joined their organization and East Central Civic Association are members of Kiwanis. “By joining each other’s groups we feel that we can positively impact the children in our community in a more collaborative manner. I have always been told that many hands make light work,” Brockway said.
The East Central School District has been equally supportive. When Hurley was initially considered for a Kiwanis community, they reached out to the School Superintendent, who in turn was so excited about the possibility that he personally contacted all the School principals to share the news. “We recently purchased school uniforms for the East Central Lower and Upper Elementary. Also, we purchased books for the entire second grade class and several members read to students.”
Brockway feels that by starting a Kiwanis Club in Hurley, it shows that they, as a community, are willing to join together to help the children in the community. “It also says that at the end of the day, Jackson County puts children first. Any community that does that is successful. As Kiwanians we just want to play our part in a much bigger picture.”
By Mimi Bosarge
