10 reasons: The 2024 Kiwanis International Convention 

10 reasons: The 2024 Kiwanis International Convention 

Feb 9, 2024 | Club building, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Leadership, News | 0 comments

From education and inspiration to fellowship and voting, a lot of opportunities are packed into our list. 

By Julie Saetre 

The 2024 Kiwanis International Convention will be July 3-6 in Denver, Colorado, U.S. Register now to join your fellow Kiwanians for the most dynamic event on the Kiwanis calendar.  

Here’s why you don’t want to sit this one out: 

  1. Insights and education. No matter what you and your club need to thrive, we’ve got the expert advice and inside information to help you reach — and surpass — your goals. Choose from a diverse lineup of workshops in key categories: 
    • Growing club membership and expanding club reach. Help members take ownership of club growth. Reduce conflict, eliminate apathy and reenergize your club.  
    • Financial stability and fundraising. Ramp up grant-writing techniques to secure key funding for more impactful service projects. Take a fresh approach to fundraising as clubs share how they reimagined stagnant fundraisers or created successful new ones. 
    • Succeed in cyberspace. Maximize your impact on social media. Combat cyberthreats and safeguard club information. Level up your Kiwanis experience through our new membership platform, Kiwanis Engage. 
    • Amplify your service. Learn club secrets for creating more meaningful, effective and sustainable service projects.  
  1. Leadership your way. Wherever you are on your Kiwanis leadership journey, you’ll find motivation and mentorship for your current role — and preparation for the next levels. For leaders at the club, division, district and international levels, our targeted workshops will send participants home feeling inspired, prepared and empowered. 
  1. Kiwanis family fellowship. Reconnect with Kiwanis friends and make new connections from around the world. The Kiwanis International convention provides plenty of opportunities to relax and socialize — from the Welcome Reception to the Convention Kickoff to the grand finale, Kiwanis Dancing Through the Decades. And be sure to stop by the Circle K International booth in Kiwanis Marketplace. Our university/college members are holding their convention alongside Kiwanis, and it’s a great opportunity to learn about their amazing service work. 
  1. Kiwanis Launchpad: Embracing Change. Explore what’s possible when you and your club embrace change. Four internationally known speakers share secrets on nurturing lifelong club members and incorporating new ideas. Kiwanis Launchpads are short, high-impact and sure to leave you full of ideas. 
  1. Kiwanis Marketplace. Find inspiration, fellowship, products and more at this convention hotspot. Here, you can register for the convention, browse booths from vendors and partners, shop for Kiwanis merchandise (including convention-branded items), ask questions, participate in service projects, pose for fun photos and visit Kiwanis candidates’ campaign booths. New to the Marketplace this year is the Membership Fair. Pick up tips from clubs that have added members! (Interested in exhibiting? Apply by April 15!) 
  1. Inspiration. From the triumph of love over hate to the power of perseverance, our captivating conference speakers will motivate and move you. The opening session features Chris Singleton, a former professional baseball player who was 18 when his mother died in a racially motivated mass killing. He has dedicated his life to sharing his message of resilience, forgiveness and unity. In 2015, Diana Nyad achieved her 35-year quest of becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. She will inspire you to navigate your own challenges and opportunities during the convention.  
  1. Annual meeting. Make your voice heard. You’ll be informed about the business of Kiwanis International, and delegates from clubs around the world will elect our next leaders and vote on amendments. Be in the room where it happens! 
  1. Celebrations. From the Welcome Reception and the Convention Kickoff to the Dancing through the Decades last-night gala, you’ll have plenty of time to celebrate Kiwanis and the amazing work our clubs and members accomplish every day. You can personalize your experience by having breakfast with our Signature Project Contest finalists (and seeing who wins the big prize), enjoying lunch while celebrating the accomplishments of our Service Leadership Program participants and discovering what’s possible through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. Then hit the dance floor with your fellow Kiwanians — in clothing that reflects your favorite decade. The eight-piece band Your Generation in Concert will perform songs from five decades of hits. 
  1. Extras for early birds. The first 1,000 registrants for the full convention package will each receive a free ticket to see the Colorado Rockies take on the Milwaukee Brewers July 4 at Coors Field. After the game, stay for a special fireworks display. (Note: Transportation to or from the game will not be provided.) On Wednesday, July 3, a lucky group will go on a field trip with Landscape Structures to an amazing playground near Denver. Act fast — only 50 spots are available! (Transportation and lunch are included. Book the tour through your conference registration confirmation email.) 
  1. Destination Denver. In the Mile High City, you can dine at award-winning restaurants, sip craft beer in one of many breweries, tour historical sites, join an ATV tour, take the family to Denver’s world-class zoo or its downtown aquarium — design your own adventure! Or use Denver as a starting point for exploring the Rocky Mountains, only two hours away from the city. 
Grants keep kids healthy and active

Grants keep kids healthy and active

Feb 1, 2024 | Fundraising, General interest, News | 0 comments

Clubs help communities access playgrounds and medical care with Kiwanis Children’s Fund grants. 

By Erin Chandler 

Some of the most popular and directly effective community projects sponsored by Kiwanis clubs are playgrounds and health-related screenings. In August 2023, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded seven club grants for projects that enable kids of all backgrounds and abilities to access medical care and places to play.  

A century-old signature project gets a boost
The Kiwanis Club of Denton, Texas, U.S., has provided free medical, dental, vision and mental health care to children in need since 1925. For the outstanding work it does in its community, the Denton Kiwanis Children’s Clinic was recognized with the Group II Silver award in the 2023 Kiwanis Signature Project Contest. A club grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help club members continue to advertise their clinic’s services and promote healthy dental practices. To date, Denton Kiwanians have given out 7,500 Kiwanis-branded bags containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental hygiene coloring books and clinic flyers at back-to-school events. This year, they will distribute thousands more dental hygiene kits that they hope will lead to even more kids being helped by the clinic. 

A fair for fun and health
For the Kiwanis Club of Lincoln Foothills, the annual health fair in Lincoln, California, U.S., is a true community event. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant joins grants and donations from other service clubs and medical, dental and vision organizations to fund a free health fair for seven elementary schools and two middle schools. Kids who attend the fair receive health, vision and dental screenings; food bags, healthy snacks and lunch; haircuts; bicycle safety information and helmets; and books — plus educational games and entertainment, all at no cost to families. Eyeglasses and follow-up dental procedures, if needed, are paid for by the local Lions Club and Rotary Club, respectively.   

Expanding bike safety
The Kiwanis Club of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, U.S., has held its Bike Rodeo Safety Fairs for 15 years. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help them expand their fairs into a fourth area community and a local middle school, as well as provide professional bike safety checks and repairs. Kids who participate in a Bike Rodeo Safety Fair receive basic bicycle safety instruction from local police officers, pedal through a course with guidance from Kiwanians and receive free bike helmets, bells and lights. Kids of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome and are even entered in a bike-giveaway drawing. 

Clubs team up for two accessible playgrounds
Twenty percent of children in the Albert Lea school district in Minnesota, U.S., receive special education services — yet none of the city’s 41 parks and recreation areas have facilities accessible to children with physical or developmental disabilities, autism or sensory disorders. The Kiwanis Club of Albert Lea is teaming up with the other area clubs — the Kiwanis Club of Albert Lea Golden K and the Kiwanis Club of Day Breakers, Albert Lea — to help remedy that situation. The All-Together Albert Lea Inclusive Playground will be wheelchair accessible and provide fun activities that children of all abilities can enjoy together. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will go toward the purchase of equipment for the “Kiwanis Play Zone” area, including a Loft + Market Café for toddlers, a sensory panel, musical features and an Oodle Swing. The club plans to organize activities such as games and book giveaways at the playground at least once a year. 

In Wisconsin, U.S., the Kiwanis Club of Ripon Early Bird is teaming up with the Kiwanis Club of Ripon Noon to build a new playground that will be accessible to kids and families of all abilities. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help to pay for the ADA-compliant poured surface and eight accessible features, including multiple swings that will accommodate wheelchair users. Overall, the playground will feature over 40 pieces of equipment and be located next to the existing Kiwanis Splash Pad. Kiwanians from both clubs will maintain the park on service cleanup days, and they will work together to hold an annual children’s fair there. 

Two more playgrounds get an upgrade
A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help the Kiwanis Club of Lebanon, Indiana, U.S., replace the 30-year-old playground equipment at Abner Longley Park with safer, more modern structures. The club will also install a Little Free Library at the playground, and club members will work with the Lebanon High School Key Club to place protective mulch in the play area. The idea for the playground revitalization came from a “wish list” compiled by local organizations that serve young people. Club members hope this addition to a low-income area will have a long-lasting, positive impact on thousands of kids. 

To mark its 100th anniversary, the Kiwanis Club of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, U.S., is also upgrading a beloved community playground. Kids have been playing at the Bastian/Kiwanis Playground since the 1950s. The club will enhance parking, remove or relocate outdated structures and install new equipment to bring the playground up to code. The majority of a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will go toward the construction of a new accessible entrance that will allow more kids and families to enjoy all the playground has to offer. 

How you can help
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund makes grants that improve the lives of children around the world by identifying projects that create a continuum of impact in a child’s life — ones that span their entire childhood and set them up for a bright future. By funding projects that target the Kiwanis causes — health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development — whether through a Kiwanis club’s local service project or a club’s partner, the Children’s Fund ensures that its grantmaking has the greatest possible impact.

If you are interested in extending your and your club’s impact beyond your community, make a gift to the Children’s Fund or learn how your club can apply for a grant to help kids in your community. 

Stan Soderstrom receiving praise and official honors

Stan Soderstrom receiving praise and official honors

Jan 31, 2024 | General interest, Leadership, News | 0 comments

Heading into retirement, Kiwanis International’s executive director is being recognized for his work and service. 

By Tony Knoderer 

Kiwanis International Executive Director Stan Soderstrom has received multiple state and local honors in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. — home of the Kiwanis International Office — as he approaches his January 31 retirement from the organization.  

During a dinner in his honor last week, Soderstrom’s current and former colleagues on the Kiwanis staff informed him that he had been awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash — the highest honor for Indiana citizens. 

In addition, January 31 has been proclaimed “Stan Soderstrom Day” in Indianapolis by the city’s mayor, Joe Hogsett. In its own recognition of Soderstrom’s work and service, the Indianapolis City-County Council praised Soderstrom for “lifelong service to others and empowering youth worldwide.” 

Throughout the day on January 31, Kiwanis leaders and staff members have also been sharing their professional and personal appreciation of Soderstrom, who has been Kiwanis International’s executive director since 2010 — after joining Kiwanis International’s staff in 1997. 

“Stan’s dedication to serving the children of the world has been an inspiration for more than two decades,” says 2023-24 Kiwanis International President Katrina Baranko. “While he’s retiring from his role as executive director, Stan will always be an important member of the Kiwanis family. I speak for all Kiwanis members and staff when I wish him a happy retirement.”