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Kiwanis Club of South Edmonton | |
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About KiwanisKiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time - locally and globally through Kiwanis Club-sponsored activities and programs. Kiwanis comprises 600,000 adult and youth members in 70 nations and geographic areas that serve children and communities worldwide. Kiwanis members are service-minded men and women united in their commitment to and compassion for others. They dedicate more than 6 million volunteer hours and invest more than US$100 million annually in projects that strengthen communities and serve children. Kiwanians, through guidance and example, work to prepare today's children to be tomorrow's citizens. Service Mission Any community need can become a Kiwanis service project, especially the needs of children. In 2005, Kiwanis clubs sponsored about 150,000 service projects and raised $107 million. Kiwanis clubs impact their communities in a variety of ways: - In the U.S., many clubs support pediatric trauma facilities and sponsor camps for underprivileged or handicapped children. In schools, clubs sponsor programs to help students develop important character traits, become responsible citizens (Terrific Kids) and improve their grades (Bring Up Grades). In Canada, Kiwanis is widely known for sponsoring music festivals for young performers. - Kiwanis clubs in Australia initiated the hospital doll program. In addition to providing comfort to injured children, these featureless cloth dolls can be marked on with felt-tip pens. This helps children describe their symptoms and allows physicians to demonstrate the treatments the children will receive. The idea spread quickly to Kiwanis clubs in Europe and then to the rest of the world. Additionally, Australian clubs teamed with New Zealand clubs to donate a dairy herd to the only agricultural college in East Timor, not only to aid education but also to provide milk to local children. - European Kiwanis clubs are strong supporters of Special Olympics. The clubs in Western Europe also launched the Kiwanis Education Program to assist students, teachers, and schools in Eastern Europe with teaching assistance, donations of computers and other equipment, and student exchanges. - Kiwanis clubs in Latin America support orphanages and health clinics and build schools in underserved areas. In Malaysia, Kiwanis clubs sponsor several centers for children with Downs Syndrome, while in Sri Lanka the focus is on a children's hospital. Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project In 1994, Kiwanis adopted its first Worldwide Service Project, a campaign in partnership with the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). Iodine deficiency is rare in areas where iodized salt is used, but in other parts of the world, IDD is the leading cause of preventable mental and physical retardation. Kiwanis raised $100 million through the campaign, funds that are now at work in more than 89 nations helping to ensure that more than 80 million children in the developing world will be born free of iodine deficiency disorder this year. Today, the number of households estimated to be consuming iodized salt has jumped dramatically from 20 percent in 1990 to more than 70 percent.
The name "Kiwanis" was coined from an expression in an American Indian language of the Detroit area, "Nunc Kee-wanis," which means, "we trade" or "we share our talents". |
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Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.
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