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Welcome
The Charlevoix Kiwanis Club has been serving the community and its children for more than 85 years. The Club was chartered on March 19th, 1935. It was the first service club to be organized in Charlevoix.
In 1939 the Club sponsored the formation of Boy scout Troop #11. The Club has continued supporting the troop which is the second oldest in Northern Michigan. The Club is proud to be one of the first clubs in Michigan to sponsor an Aktion Club. (A club for adults with physical and mental challenges.
The Club currently has forty-seven members and meets each Tuesday at noon in the the lower level of the Weathervane Inn in Charlevoix. Why not join us for lunch and see what Kiwanis is about.
The Things We Do
What does Kiwanis do? We do a lot. We do a lot. (In face, we’re still working on the list. A couple thing you should understand about Kiwanis. We are a non-profit 501 c corporation. (Thanks for your donations) As such there are to elements to our Club. The Charlevoix Kiwanis Youth Foundation where all monies obtained by the are directed. The second part is the Administrative Organization which as the name implies includes all officers and Club members who are all volunteers. There are many administrative costs but all those costs are paid by club members. This is the way that the Michigan Kiwanis and Kiwanis International also operate. That means when you buy a hot dog, Kielbasa, the maple syrup we bottle or the holiday nuts we sell, or participate in the “Fun Run.” Every penny of profit goes back into the community and most of it to fund youth activities. Typically, our members provide nearly 400 hours a month in community service work.
Fifth Grade Essay Contest
Charlevoix fifth grade students write essays about a charitable organization. This requires research and writing skill. A club committee selects the best of the best essays. A representative from the organizations that the winners wrote about are invited to an assembly where the winners read their essay and give a check to the organization. (Money from comes donations)
Headstart Reading
We believe that nothing is more important than building an interest in books and reading at an early age. During the school year members read to pre-school children enrolled in the Head Start program. If you would like to be involved in this program, we would welcome you even if you are not a Kiwanis member. We read on Wednesdays, 10:00 am at the Charlevoix Elementary School.
AKTION CLUB
The Kiwanis AKTION Club changes lives. We hear that all the time. Members are adults who face life challenges. AKTION Club helps the members interact with others in the club and the community. They learn leadership skills and grow in ways they didn't know was possible.
St. Marys Builder's Club
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Scholastic Scholarships
The Club offers two scholastic scholarships. One by recommendation from Charlevoix High School administration for the outstanding math & science high school senior. The second is to a student who has completed one year of secondary education. This is given on the basis of an essay from the student.
Recognizing Outstanding Community Service
Each year the club recognizes an individual whom we feel has made an outstanding contribution to the community. There is never a shortage of candidates to select from so it's a difficult committee assignment to make the selection each year.
Applefest Fun Run
One of our more fun activities is the Applefest Fun Run. It's also one of our best fundraisers. It features 1K and 5K races for the whole family. It happens on Saturday morning of Applefest which is the second week-end in October. Watch for details late this summer or early this fall.
Highway Clean-up
Every Spring and fall the Club picks up trash on a 2 mile stretch of road on US-31 South of Charlevoix from Flacklack Road to Norwood Road. It's a touch job and somebody does it.