Local Group Of Young Volunteers Unite For Day Of Service

by Anh Nguyen

Members from various branches of Kiwanis help with beautification project at Clemyjontri Park
The Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean, VA volunteered to help with a beautification project at Clemyjontri Park in McLean, Virginia for Kiwanis ONE Day. Over 50 volunteers from the McLean High School Key Club, Centreville High School Key Club, George Mason University CKI Club, Kiwanis Club of Annandale, and Kiwanis Club of Fairfax joined the Tysons Corner club on Saturday to fill in on essential projects the park has not been able to accomplish due to budget shortfalls.

Clemyjontri Park is one of the many parks managed by the Fairfax Country Park Authority. This particular park has a two-acre playground that is the only playground in Northern Virginia where all equipment and features are accessible for children of all abilities, including those who use wheelchairs, walkers, or braces, or who have sensory or developmental disabilities.

"Clemyjontri is one of the jewels of the Fairfax County Park Authority and the laying of the sod and landscape improvements will greatly enhance park visitors' enjoyment," commented Rebecca Boone, General Manager of Clemyjontri Park and The Turner Farm for Fairfax Country Park Authority. She also stated, "Had these volunteers not come out to take care of our landscaping needs, it just would never have been done due to budget cuts."

The Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean, VA proudly made a $500 donation to the Fairfax County Park Foundation. The donation, which has been earmarked for The Liberty Swing project, was presented in conjunction with the Club's annual Kiwanis One Day project.

Kiwanis International has annually marked the first Saturday of April as Kiwanis ONE Day, a day where all branches of the Kiwanis Family - K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club, CKI Clubs, Aktion Clubs, and Kiwanis Club - worldwide come together for a day of hands-on community service. The purpose of this initiative is to show the world the impact Kiwanis International can have on our communities when united.

Tysons Corner Kiwans Club President, Stacy Bruss said, "Coming together with all our Kiwanis Family members throughout Northern Virginia made a great impact on strengthening our relationships with one another and on Clemyjontri. After five hours of landscaping work from our large group, you could definitely see the vast improvement it made on the beauty of the playground and kids of all abilities should be able to have a nice, beautiful playground to enjoy."

About the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean, VA - Established in 1998, the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner is a young professional community service organization in Northern Virginia. The members consist of young adults primarily in their 20s and 30s who aim to make their communities a better place, with an emphasis on working with youths, while having fun. Since 1998, they have contributed over 15,000 hours of service in the greater DC area and donated/raised over $15,000 for local charities. In 2009, the club merged with the McLean chapter and renamed themselves the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean, VA. To learn more about the group, visit www.tysonscornerkiwanis.org.