Many of the activities of the club (service projects, dances, travel to conventions, etc.) would not happen except for fund raising.
In October the Model School Key Club, a Kiwanis service leadership organization for high school students, participated in a service project raising funds for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Katlyn Robbins, the co president of the Model School Key Club, said, "We used orange Trick-or Treat for UNICEF boxes to collect funds for the UNICEF effort. We provided a donut party for a high school English class that raised the most money."
When the Model School Key Club's contribution of $300+ was added to the amount raised by other Key Clubs across the United States $277,130 was raised for UNICEF's relief efforts in Kenya. The donation will make a huge difference to many families in the country plagued with ethnic instability and civil unrest.
It's a worthy cause, although it's not the original intent of the funds. Key Club International began its 2007 fall service project, with the hope of donating money to the Kicking HIV/AIDS Out of Kenya program. This program, for 15-year-old to 19-year-old Kenyan girls, uses soccer to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, teach life skills, bolster confidence, promote leadership, and strengthen leadership skills.
As Key Club prepared to donate the $277,130 it raised, the program was suspended after violence broke out in Kenya following the announcement of disputed presidential election results. Seeing a need, the Key Club International board of trustees decided to donate the money to UNICEF for immediate emergency relief.
The funds, which will be administered by UNICEF, will be used to assist the more than 180,000 displaced families and children whose lives have been forever changed by this conflict. Since the fighting began, UNICEF has been on the ground in Kenya providing supplementary food, water, and shelter to tens of thousands of people. Counseling is also being offered to the children whose lives have been turned upside down by this conflict.
The Kicking HIV/AIDS Out of Kenya program will be reinstated when the country stabilizes.
The Model School Key Club president, Katlyn Robbins, said she supported the initial focus of this fundraiser. She added, Model School has many students doing research into HIV/AIDS.
Key Club International, a Kiwanis service leadership program, is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. Founded in 1925, Key Club is a student-led organization teaching leadership through serving others. Now in its 85th year, Key Clubs serve 245,000 students in nearly 5,000 clubs in 27 nations worldwide. As members of the Kiwanis International family, Key Club members build themselves as they build their schools and communities. Visit http://www.keyclub.org/ for more information or call 800-KIWANIS.
Sarah Merlin, an special education teacher and adviser to the Key Club at Model School said, "I strongly support the role of the Key Clubs in trying to address world problems. This world is bigger than Model and Richmond. It is important to reach out to others in need." The work of the Model School Key Club can be seen on the web at: www.RichmondKiwanis.Info/Model/MHSKeyClub.html
Founded in 1915, Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Kiwanis International and its Service Leadership Programs for young people, including Circle K, Key Club, Key Leader, Builders Club, K-Kids, Kiwanis Junior, and Aktion Club, dedicate more than 19 million volunteer hours and invest US$100 million to strengthen communities and serve children annually. The Kiwanis International family is composed of 600,000 adult and youth members in 15,000 clubs in more than 70 countries and geographic areas. Kiwanis members make their mark by responding to the needs of their communities and pooling their resources to address worldwide issues. Globally, Kiwanis International has focused humanitarian efforts on eliminating iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) through the Worldwide Service Project, a US$75 million campaign in partnership with UNICEF, which began in 1994. For more information about Kiwanis International, please visit http://www.kiwanis.org/ or call 800-KIWANIS.
The Kiwanis Club of Richmond is the sponsor of the Model School Key Club. For additional information about the Kiwanis Club of Richmond please visit http://www.richmondkiwanis.info/
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading international children's organization, working in more than 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection, and emergency response, saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections, and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources, and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit http://www.unicefusa.org/
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