Sebastopol Kiwanis Club is in it’s fify-first year as a hands-on community service club with emphasis on the needs of youth.
We construct and repair school and park facilities, raise funds and distribute them to worthy causes, and award cash scholarships to graduating Analy and Laguna high school students.
Participate in the annual Apple Blossom Festival in the parade on Main Street.
At Easter we stage a traditional early morning egg hunt at Ives Park; this is a festive occasion and is always attended by the Easter Bunny.
On July 3 we celebrate Independence Day with a music and fireworks show at the football field at Analy High. This includes a parade of flags led by Uncle Sam, a patriotic songfest for children, and two hours of live rock music—Sebastopol’s largest public event of every year.
As a group, Sebastopol Kiwanis has a strong commitment to the improvement of our beloved community, and to environmental values.
Kiwanis International is the umbrella organization, overseeing chapters in most regions of the world. Total membership is now about 600,000. The Kiwanis International motto is “Serving the children of the world.” Toward that goal it has worked extensively with UNICEF to eliminate iodine deficiency and maternal and neonatal tetanus in developing nations.
The first Kiwanis Club was formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1915. The name, Kiwanis, derives from Native American languages. Whether this was from the Algonquian or Ojibwe languages is uncertain; the original meaning was either “To fool around,” or “I am foolish and wanton.”
In common with several other service clubs founded in the Progressive Era, Kiwanis was originally an expression of fraternalism, which may be defined as a relation of affection founded on shared values and goals. In recent times Kiwanis includes and welcomes women, who now comprise about one-quarter of the membership and a larger proportion of the total number of officers.
Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children through local service projects and fundraising. Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year.
The opportunity to help
We believe that those who give the most are the happiest. There is nothing more beautiful than individuals who reach out to make other people’s lives beautiful. It teaches us the value of service to others and shows us how important our contributions are in making this world a better place, especially for the children.
Personal growth and development
Membership provides education in human relations and personal development. Being in service to others develops good character in everybody. It gives us experiences that teach and develop us to become better individuals.
Make friends and be part of something great
Being a member allows one to take part in the many activities and projects we create. We have a great group of members who enjoy spending time with each other for the betterment of our community.
