CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Our Giving Grace feature continues to highlight many of the local organizations that work very hard supporting citizens in Clarksville-Montgomery County.
This latest edition takes us inside a group celebrating 100 years of service to the community, the Downtown Kiwanis Club.
Also known as the Kiwanis Club of Clarksville, the organization is part of Kiwanis International and emphasizes their mission which is to improve the lives of children, one child at a time. Kiwanis President, Wesley “Wes” Sumner, shared details about some of their projects and fundraisers.
Sumner said their signature projects is also a literacy initiative, the Reading Rodeo. The club distributes books to all third graders in Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools and the books are then incorporated into the student’s curriculum.
Continuing with a theme of education, Kiwanis has Memories of Service and Sacrifice. It offers middle and high school students the opportunity to interview and write an essay about a veteran in their family or a veteran they know in the community.
Sumner said it highlights the veteran’s service and helps young people gain a better understanding and appreciation for those veterans in our community. The theme for this year’s essay is, “How is our Community Unique because of Veteran’s like…” and will be followed by the veteran’s name.
The club also worked to collect and mount a permanent “Faces of Valor” display of many local veteran’s pictures in the Montgomery County Courthouse and there have been five volumes of “Faces of Valor” books.
Events hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Clarksville include the Kiwanis Rodeo which did not take place this year because of COVID-19 concerns. Other fundraising events throughout the year are the Pancake Breakfast, Night Golf Tournament and around Thanksgiving a smoked turkey sale.
With their mission of helping kids, one of the most rewarding and heart-warming activities for Kiwanians each year is the Children’s Christmas Party. Around 140 youngsters who are part of the local Head Start program receive gifts, treats, and a visit from Santa Claus during the holiday season.
With the continuing focus on youth, other organizations like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Clarksville Association for Down Syndrome, Young Life and three Key Clubs all benefit from the Kiwanis Club.
Sumner said the club is always looking for new, community-minded people.
“I’d say the best way to see if it’s a good fit for prospective members is to come to one of our lunches. They’re very informative, we have excellent guests from around the community to talk about pertinent subjects,” said Sumner.
“It’s important to know that we’ve been doing this for 100 years. It would be hard to measure the impact the club’s had in Clarksville,” Sumner said. “It’s a good opportunity for people who love and care about their community to actually get involved in the betterment of the community.”
The Downtown Kiwanis Club meets at noon each Tuesday in the Laida Fellowship Hall at First Baptist Church in downtown Clarksville.
To learn more about the Downtown Kiwanis Club, visit the Kiwanis Club of Clarksville Facebook page or go to clarksvillekiwanis.org.