Because of the coronavirus, all of its 2020 fundraising events were cancelled and no meetings were held from mid-March through May, but the Christiansburg Kiwanis Club nevertheless continued to serve the community, providing 3,226 hours of volunteer service during the year.
Thanks to the sponsors and vendors of the Kiwanis Wilderness Trail Festival, who chose to donate their pre-paid fees to the Club, and to the club’s reserves, all of the youth and children’s activities were still funded.
The club was able to start meeting again in June at the picnic shelter located at Kiwanis Park in Christiansburg. Since the location was outside and the shelter was large enough to accommodate social distancing, meetings could safely be held. Starting Oct. 1, the Holiday Inn in Christiansburg was able to set up a room with social distancing, and the Kiwanians began meeting there again.
In its annual report for 2020, the club reported that history was made this year as the club elected its first-ever woman president, Kelley Olson, a teacher at Christiansburg Middle School. She was chosen by her fellow Kiwanis members to lead the club in the 2020/2021 fiscal year.
The Christiansburg Kiwanis Club currently has 60 members and is the largest club in Division 16 of the Capital District.
In other club-related news, 22 members had perfect meeting attendance for the year. Ernie Wade, who chairs the Kiwanis Wilderness Trail Festival and the club’s membership committee, was selected as the Kiwanian of the Year. One of the members and a past president, Bob Lewit, is serving as Lt. Governor of Division 16. The club, along with the Blacksburg-Montgomery Kiwanis Club, is a co-sponsor of the Kiwanis Club of Giles County.
The activities for youth and children the club carried out in 2020 included the following:
The Head Start Backpack Program. Each Thursday, just prior to each club meeting, Kiwanis members met at the Head Start building and packed 57 backpacks for the Head Start children. Normally, the backpack program is dormant during the summer but this year it was extended through the summer months as the need for food was greater because of family hardship caused by the virus.
Two Walmart gift cards, in the amount of $550 ($500 from the Kiwanis Club and $50 from Walmart). These were provided to the six schools in Christiansburg. One was a clothing card and the other was for school supplies, and they were used to buy these items for children who cannot afford to buy their own. These cards were used to buy needed clothing and school supplies for children who could not afford to buy their own. Once the cards reached a low balance, the club replaced them upon request from the schools.
Three $1,500 college scholarships. These were provided to Christiansburg High School students who need support for their continuing education.
A Christmas party for about 60 children. The club and its members provided toys and clothing with Santa distributing both at a party. Food and drinks were provided for the children and their chaperones. The children who participated in the party were selected by the teachers from the local schools. Using input from the children’s parents as to needs and sizes of the clothing, each club member took a child’s name and bought clothing. Club members also bought toys from a want list supplied by the children’s parents. This year the total cost to the members and the club exceeded $11,000.
The founding and support of CMS’s Kiwanis Builders Club. This is a youth club that falls under the Kiwanis International’s umbrella.
The club paid the cost for children who could not afford the entry fees to participate in sports at the Christiansburg Recreation Center and the Aquatic Center.
The club provided annual support in the form of financing and volunteer assistance to Kiwanis Park where a five-acre expansion is underway.
Among the cash contributions the club made this year were those to the Agency on Aging, $1,000; IDA, $1,900; and Boys and Girls State, $500.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. The Kiwanis Club of Christiansburg has provided service to the local community since its charter was granted in 1949.
