Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg Celebrates 90 Years of Community Service on January 15th, 2010
a Photo Album & Story Essay by Past Governor Bob Cressy
January 15th, 2010 - The Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg, Virginia, celebrated its 90th year of community service at a Randolph College banquet hall with over one hundred attending. When we all think about service, what is needed, how to perform it and how to promote the continuance of community service and our Sponsored Leadership Programs, one ingredient is to look to our Kiwanis history, our legacy.
The Lynchburg Kiwanis Club is the eighth oldest club in the Capital District having been founded January 15th, 1920. This was five years after Kiwanis itself was founded. It was two years after the end of The Great War. Autos and air travel were still in their infancy. It was a time of the founding of the Washington club, Baltimore, Roanoke, Wilmington, and Petersburg among others. And today, new clubs and the oldest clubs continue to look to how to best serve the needs of their communities. The Lynchburg Kiwanis Club has the formulae and still does exactly that. In fact they will host the Capital District Convention in August 2010.
Past President Ed McCann, Lynchburg president in 1990, highlighted many service projects of the club over the years. For example in 1922, "the Club established its Education and Benevolent fund, the vehicle through which the Club financed its charitable work in the community. Later in the 1920's, the Club aided in the beautification of Riverside Park ... contributing to the City and planting 400 Kwansan Cherry Trees'. They constructed playgrounds, provided help to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Community Chest, and public school programs with childhood immunization programs, tutoring, supporting area Key Clubs. Kiwanians contribute to this Foundation.
Over 90 years there are too many accomplishments to recite, but it can be said that the spirit of service lives on with the mission "Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time".
The Key Note speaker was United States Army Colonel Gray Heppner, M.D., winner of the 2009 Kiwanis International World Service Award at the Nashville convention for his medical research on malaria. He is working on the development of a malaria vaccine and is in the Kiwanis spirit of "One Can Make A Difference". And as leaders in service, like COL Heppner and like so many Kiwanians, we can all inspire others to join us in changing the world. Now is the time. Congratulations, Lynchburg Kiwanians! (Right) Lynchburg Kiwanis Club President Ken Price presented COL Gray Heppner a check from the club for $1,100 to help his research. The Lynchburg club nominated COL Heppner for his 2009 Kiwanis International World Service Medal award at the KI Convention in Nashville.
Please see the photo essay to share with Lynchburg Kiwanis the pride they take in their 90 years of service to others. See how 'leadership by example' draws in people to help Kiwanis and their communities with meeting their needs.
