The Warsaw Kiwanis Club is almost as old as the global group itself. Kiwanis International, founded in 1915 in Detroit and now headquartered in Indianapolis, marked the 100th anniversary of its founding as a non-profit organization in January. The Warsaw club was founded in 1921 and will celebrate its own anniversary April 21. Kiwanis was founded as the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order Brothers and changed its name to Kiwanis the next year, an Ojibwe expression they translate as “we build,” which was the club’s original motto. Since 2005, the Kiwanis motto has been “Serving the Children of the World,” which the Warsaw chapter lives out in a number of ways. The club recently raised $5,000 for the KC Riley Kids Fund, which benefits the Riley Hospital for Children, and regularly supports the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Baker Youth Club and other youth organizations. “We currently have 88 members. Our goal this year is to reach 100 members,” said Renea Salyer, current Warsaw Kiwanis president. “We welcome new members to our club. We are a fun group.” She said they plan to celebrate the organization’s 100 years with cake, club memories, a special song and trivia during their April 23 meeting. The meeting is from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Shrine Building at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, which is when and where they meet every week on Thursday. Guests and visitors are welcome. “The International Kiwanis Convention is in Indianapolis this year in June,” she added. “(Secretary) Joni (Truex) and I will be attending to celebrate the 100-year anniversary at the convention, too.” Salyer listed several other things the Warsaw club raises funds to support every year: • Vocational scholarships for high school students • Christmas gifts to needy families through Salvation Army • Salvation Army food pantry • Academic recognition luncheon for Warsaw Community High School scholar athletes • The Kiwanis International Foundation • Fort Wayne Philharmonic concert in Winona Lake They raise money through activities like rose sales, which sold 325 bundles of a dozen this year, and the annual Pancake and Egg Breakfast benefitting Riley Hospital for Children, which is April 18 at Center Lake Pavilion. Pre-sale tickets are $5 and are available from any Kiwanis member or by calling breakfast chairman Larry Peppel at 574-268-2228 or Michelle Boxell at 574-371-1387. Tickets are $6 at the door. The all-you-care-to-eat breakfast will be served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. Salyer noted they also engage in a number of community service projects, such as delivering mobile meals, cleaning highways and ringing the bell for Salvation Army at the holidays. They also collect pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House, bring in magazines to be delivered to nursing homes, the Cardinal Center and Beaman Home, and work on beautification of Kiwanis Park on Smith Street. For more information, visit the club website at warsawkiwanis.net or on Facebook at Facebook.com/KiwanisClubofWarsaw
