Richard Simmons was a Kiwanis Children’s Fund donor
Brother of Kiwanian Lenny Simmons, the health and fitness icon supported the Kiwanis mission in multiple ways.
By Tony Knoderer
When beloved health and fitness instructor Richard Simmons passed away in July, many news reports noted the inspiration and entertainment he gave the world during his lifetime. One lesser-known aspect of his life, though, was his generosity to youth through Kiwanis International and the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.
Brother of Lenny Simmons (a 40-year member of the Kiwanis Club of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., and a past trustee of Kiwanis International), Richard himself was a George F. Hixson Fellow, with 15 Hixson Diamond levels. In fact, he and Lenny each received their first Hixson during a joint presentation in 1992. (Lenny’s wife, Cathy, is a 25-year member of the New Orleans club and was recently appointed to be a Children’s Fund Trustee starting in October.)
Richard — or “Dicky,” as family members called him — earned three of his Hixson levels in 1994, when he donated more than US$3,000 to Kiwanis International’s first worldwide service project to help eliminate iodine deficiency disorders around the world.
Richard received the International Tablet of Honor in 1997. For the Simmons family, it was a particularly special moment: As governor of the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District, Lenny personally presented the honor during the district’s convention that year.
Richard was proud of the work his brother and sister-in-law did through Kiwanis, and he continued supporting the organization through their home club through the years.
“It’s not the amount of the gifts, but the fact that Dicky, as a non-Kiwanian, was so very generous,” Lenny says. “He never charged for appearing at any of the conventions and he was generous with donating all the sales of his merchandise during conventions back to the Children’s Fund. He truly cared about children.”
