The Service Leadership Programs at UVA and at Western Albemarle High School chose the great outdoors as the setting for a farewell to graduating club members and an induction of officers for the 2008-2009 school year.  On a chilly day at the end of April, UVA students and guests from CKI at Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Baldwin, and James Madison, met with representatives of Kiwanis and enjoyed a picnic in the "Dell" at on the beautiful UVA Grounds behind the old dorms.  Pictured (left) is Kiwanis President Norm Gutzler going over the official duties for the new CKI Secretary Kathryn Brown from Northern Virginia.  In the background you can see outgoing CKI president and past Presidential Division LTG Katie Smith from nearby Fluvanna County.  Katie has spent the last 8 wonderful years as a very active member of Key Club and CKI sponsored by the Charlottesville Kiwanis Club.

 

And on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in mid-May, several Kiwanians joined the Western Albemarle Key Club at a picnic at Mint Springs park in Crozet for a celebration of the graduation of Key Clubbers and the induction of new officers.  Pictured (right) is Kiwanis President Norm Gutzler setting out on a trail that had been cleared and maintained by the WAHS Key Club as a special project.  Leading the group is faculty adviser Caroline Bertrand, who recommended the hike as a way for everyone to build up an appetite for the picnic lunch.   WAHS Key Club and UVA CKI both saw a resurgence of membership in 2007-2008 and both look forward to many years of vigorous community service and thoughtful leadership experience as part of the Kiwanis Family.

 

Submitted by:  Jim Hart, Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville   www.avenue.org/kiwanis  

Kiwanis Team Competes in Central Little League Majors

Once again this year, the Kiwanis-sponsored team is the midst of a very tough race in the competitive Central Little League Majors Division.  With a record of 6 wins and 6 losses, Kiwanis is in second place, 3.5 games behind Outback Steakhouse.  On Monday, May 12, Kiwanis thumped the league leaders by a score of 10-1, but on Wednesday, May 14, they dropped a contest to Airport Motors who trails Kiwanis in third place by one game. On Wednesday, May 7, Kiwanis scored a stirring come-from-behind win over Masonic Lodge (currently in fourth place) with a two-out walk-off base hit in the bottom of the 6th (last) inning.  A real treat is in store for any K-Family member who comes out to Pen Park to join the kids and their coaches and families as they heartily "cheer for Kiwanis."  See the standings, schedules, results, and other information by clicking on the Central Little League link from our own web site. 

Kiwanis Dogwood Pancake Breakfast Benefits Boys & Girls Club

Sam's Club helped Charlottesville Kiwanians and K-Family members flip thousands of pancakes, serve hundreds of sausages, and pour gallons of Starbucks Coffee and Pepsi product in the fourth annual Kiwanis Dogwood Pancake Breakfast on the morning of the Dogwood Festival Parade, April 26.  When all the counting is done, more than $5,000 will go to support the Keystone Program of the Boys & Girls Club of Charlottesville/Albemarle.  Pictured in the top row from left are Boys & Girls Club leaders welcoming guests; Albemarle High School Key Clubbers assisting; a happy pancake patron.  In the next row we see Kiwanis kitchen chief Tony Hastoglis keeping the crew busy, including WCHV radio personality Joe Thomas and Kiwanian Gordon Merrick. The third row shows that this Kiwanis event was fun for young people of all ages and promises to continue as one of the most anticipated events of Dogwood Festival time in Charlottesville, benefiting the finest local agencies working with our children and youth.

Renaissance Comes Alive for Charlottesville Kiwanis

The genteel age of the Renaissance in England came to life on Monday evening April 7 at The Ponderosa.  Ms. Debra Weidman, portraying a faire Elizabethan maiden, and her husband looking every bit the part of King Henry VIII, discussed this long forgotten and rarely studied age of splendor.  Ms. Weidman is the designer and seamstress of the Renaissance period clothing and was able to explain in great detail the construction and finishing of the clothing that she and her husband wore.  She participates in numerous "Renaissance Faires" around the country and her lecture attested to her solid command of the historical details from this by-gone era.  Ms. Weidman operates a shop called Lady Faire, which produces fine renditions of clothing from other historic periods as well, including the American Civil War and the time of Victorian England.  The Kiwanians and their guests thoroughly enjoyed this unique exploration of European history and hope that Ms. Weidman and her husband return soon, perhaps in the clothing of another famous historical period. 

Kiwanis Learns About Service Dogs of Virginia, Inc.

Peggy Law, Director of Service Dogs of Virginia, brought a freshly trained blond lab named Jib to an appreciative K-Family audience at The Ponderosa, on Monday evening, April 14.  Service Dogs of Virginia, Inc. raises, trains and places dogs to assist people with disabilities. Labs are especially valued as Service Dogs because of their friendly, approachable demeanor and their adaptability to learning an amazing variety of helpful tasks. Peggy Law explained that service dogs are companions that can perform a variety of tasks for their handlers, including retrieving dropped items such as cell phones, pencils, and change; opening and closing doors; and “fetching” a cordless telephone to name a few.   A service dog not only makes life easier and safer, additionally, the dog serves as a vital bridge to the able bodied community. A canine companion is an appealing warm magnet that draws people to an individual in a wheelchair, an individual who is characteristically ignored and rendered invisible. "Once the dog performs this little bit of magic, disabled individuals can be seen for the people they are," said Ms. Law.  Almost every Kiwanian in the room had a story to tell about a beloved and faithful dog that they knew and expressed great admiration for the work of Service Dogs in assisting people with disabilities in Central Virginia.

Busy Saturday Morning for Charlottesville K-Family

Charlottesville Kiwanis Spruces Up Ronald McDonald House

For the second time in 7 months, the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville dedicated its monthly "work night" to sprucing up the grounds of the Ronald McDonald House, a place where for 25 years pediatric patients and their families have been able to find affordable lodging while they are in town for medical treatment.  In August of last year and again in late March, 2008, fifteen energetic Kiwanis volunteers performed yard work, light landscaping, gardening, and did some painting around the exterior of the beautiful three-story brick building located on a quiet street just blocks from UVA Children's Hospital.  Don Foss, recently retired faculty member of Albemarle High School and long-time adviser to the AHS Key Club, took the leaf blower to the walkways surrounding the patio and its nearby brick walk of honor.  He pointed with pride to the brick acknowledging the support given to Ronald McDonald House in 1995 by "his" Key Club.  "This brick reminds everyone in the community of how Kiwanis and the K-Family strives to help children's charities in general and UVA Children's Hospital in particular, both by raising money for great causes and by doing actual hands-on work projects," said Norm Gutzler, current president. "For more than eighty-five years, Kiwanis has been setting the example for enthusiastic and effective community service and has conveyed the importance of that practice to its service leadership programs, engaging approximately four hundred area youth," he continued.   The Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville sponsors Key Clubs at six area high schools, a Builders Club at Jack Jouett Middle School, and a Circle K International (CKI) chapter at the University of Virginia.

(Pictured: near the tree, Philip Day and Don Jones; with the spray paint, Charlie Krizek; and with the potted plants, Peyton Ledford and Virginia Rybolt.)

UVA's CKI Holds Third Annual Egg Hunt on Lawn

The University of Virginia Chapter of Circle K International (CKI) hosted its Third Annual Egg Hunt on the Lawn on Saturday, March 22.  CKI volunteers filled more than 1,000 colorful eggs with candy and other treats and hid them across the expanse of the south end of Mr. Jefferson's Academical Village.  Two hunts were held and more than fifty children, with their families in observance, raced each other to find the springtime treasures.  "Older kids were seen sharing their loot with much younger ones, who may have not been as quick to scour the field," said Katie Smith, a UVA fourth year from Fluvanna County and president of the 45-member student organization.  In between Egg Hunts, CKI members conducted a face-painting workshop and also sold baked goods to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  UVA CKI is a service and leadership program sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville.  It has been serving the needs of children in Charlottesville and worldwide for nearly 45 years.

UVA CKI Harnesses K-Family Energy for Camp Holiday Trails

More than fifty CKI, Key Club, and Kiwanis volunteers pulled together on the weekend of March 14-16 for the first-ever Charlottesville K-Family Spring Service Retreat benefiting Camp Holiday Trails, a summer camp for children with special health needs. "It is always a pleasure working with CHT because they never fail to tell us exactly what they need done," commented Barb Ritter, the treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville, which sponsors six Key Clubs in local area high schools, a Builders Club at Jack Jouett Middle School, and the Circle K International chapter at the University of Virginia. Hiking trails and stream beds were cleared from debris that had accumulated over the winter. The Challenge Course was made ready for the installation of obstacles and other devices, which will soon provide hours of summer fun and excitement for hundreds of campers. The volunteers happily took to canoes to set and clear algae traps on the lake and enjoy the spring sunshine and mild temperatures. A truckload of gently used furniture was removed for donation to The Salvation Army while new pieces of furniture were put in place. Even the windows in the cabins and dining hall received a good going over by the seemingly tireless K-Family members. "The whole effort was remarkably well-planned and coordinated," observed a grateful Tina LaRoche, Executive Director of Camp Holiday Trails. Brian Cofrancesco, lieutenant governor of the Presidential Division and president-elect of UVA CKI, was in charge of this 3-day project. UVA students were joined by students from James Madison University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Mary Baldwin College, including the Capital District CKI Governor, Sneha Bhat. Key Clubbers from Monticello High School and Albemarle High School, including the Lieutenant Governor of Key Club Division 5A, Christina Horton, enthusiastically pitched in. Kiwanis itself provided an interclub with four of its members, including current president Norm Gutzler, taking part in this outstanding example of intergenerational volunteering. Kiwanis has been an active supporter of Camp Holiday Trails for the entire 35 years of the camp's existence. Last summer, more than $8,000 was raised for CHT at the annual Kiwanis Independence Day 5K Race. "It is our privilege and honor to dedicate proceeds from the 25th annual race on July 4, 2008 to this unique organization so that kids can enjoy summer camp despite suffering from chronic illnesses," said Kiwanis President Norm Gutzler.

(Kiwanian Norm Gutzler and a few students in the K-family work hard to clean a stream bed at the Spring Service Retreat.)

Division Five PLG Don Jones Promotes Capital District Foundation

"Every member of the Capital District is a member of the Capital District Foundation," said Past Lieutenant Governor Don Jones of the Charlottesville Kiwanis Club, as he welcomed Kiwanis International President David Curry on his visit to Division Five hosted by the Staunton Club on Monday, January 28.  Don is the Division Five representative on the board of trustees of the Capital District Foundation, which was founded in 1972 specifically to give a boost to the signature Kiwanis Service Learning Programs and other outstanding projects assisting children and youth.  Supported programs include Youth Outreach, the Teenager of the Year Award, the Robert H. Turner, Jr. Scholarships, and grant assistance to seven Pediatric Trauma Units located in the Capital District.  The CDKF has contributed more than $89,000 over fifteen years to the University of Virginia Children's Hospital.  President Curry (pictured from left with Don Jones) explained that every year in return for the Capital District Foundation's support for the Kiwanis International Children's Fund, the Kiwanis International Foundation (KIF) honors one Capital District Key Clubber and one member of the Capital District CKI with scholarships of $1,000 each.  "We have seen it proven over the years that the smallest contribution to the Capital District Foundation has the potential to become the largest investment in the future of our children and youth," added PLG Jones.  Each Kiwanian is asked to contribute (through their individual clubs) one dollar in the fall of each year.  We are also urged to participate in the Ducky Derby and Caring Corner at District Conventions and other K-Family gatherings.  And there are several endowment programs that ensure the vitality of Kiwanis support for our children and youth in perpetuity.  Among these are the Life Member program, the Tablet of Honor, and the Roll of Honor Memorial.  There can be no greater honor than to be recognized for contributing to the success of the Capital District Foundation.

Western Albemarle High School Key Club has Busy Agenda

Key Club President Alexandra Triana and Faculty Advisor Caroline Bertrand welcomed Kiwanis Club liaison Jim Hart to a recent Key Club meeting at Western Albemarle High School near Crozet.  Plans are already being made for Western's attendance at this year's Capital District Key Club convention to be held at the Richmond Marriott on the weekend of April 18-20.  Last year, the WAHS Club was recognized as "The Best New Key Club" in the Capital District.  This year, the club has 54 members and is active in tutoring and mentoring the kids at Virginia L. Murray, Brownsville, and Greer Elementary Schools.  They also volunteer in the soup kitchen at The Salvation Army Homeless Shelter as well as in the Enrichment Program for children in the shelter and the transitional housing unit.   They are planning to take part in the K-Family Spring Service Retreat sponsored by UVA's CKI on the weekend of March 7-9 at Camp Holiday Trails.  The energetic board has formed committees to raise funds for two District-wide projects:  "Nothing but Nets", an anti-malaria campaign providing mosquito netting for families in Africa and "Operation G.I.", collecting and donating gifts for service men and women returning from deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville is very proud of the accomplishments of this wonderful group of young leaders in service to the community.

Kiwanians Refurbish Offices for Piedmont CASA

A dozen Kiwanians and one AHS Key Clubber completed a painting blitz of the conference rooms and reception areas of Piedmont CASA, which is  located on the third floor of an historic building just off Court Square in downtown Charlottesville. "We chose the colors we did to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for staff, volunteers, and clients who use these spaces daily in their important work," said Ruth Stone CASA's executive director, whose husband, John, joined in the excitement. CASA is an organization that trains Court Appointed Special Advocates, who work one-on-one with abused and endangered children to assist the courts in determining the best environment to ensure each child's safety and well-being. "Volunteer court advocates may be the only voice that can truly speak for these children," explained Stone, "and the work Kiwanis did in transforming the feel of our offices was truly amazing." The project was organized by Work Night Chair Lynn Seuffert, who made sure the Kiwanians found the location, brought adequate supplies, and were fed properly after the work was completed. The next work night is scheduled for Monday night, February 25, and will take place at The Habitat Store on Harris Street. It will be another painting extravaganza and all Kiwanians and K-Family members are urged to volunteer.

Below is a letter of appreciation received after the PCASA Work Night.

Dear Lynn,

All of us at Piedmont CASA are so very pleased with the new colors on the walls of the office and so very grateful to Kiwanis for making this happen. Our hallway and conference room are truly transformed! After inhabiting this space for over eight years, we really feel this is a great improvement; when we come up the stairs first thing each morning we are struck by the warm and welcoming atmosphere you created for us and we know that all of our visitors feel this way too. Moreover, the entire project proceeded smoothly and efficiently. We appreciate Kiwanis' thoroughness and attention to detail, from spackling the plaster walls, to sanding, to keeping an excellent line between the color and the white trim! This has been a tremendous gift to us. Thank you. All the best,

Phoebe Frosch

Development Director Piedmont CASA, Inc.

Professor Henry J. Abraham Speaks to Kiwanis Club

A special treat was in store for Kiwanians and their guests on the night of January 14 when Henry J. Abraham, the James Hart Professor of Government & Politics emeritus at UVA, addressed the club on the topic of his specialty, the history of Presidential appointments to the Supreme Court.   Professor Abraham dazzled the group with his mastery of detail on this subject, which he has made his life-long passion.  He has generally been acknowledged as the world's expert on this subject for nearly five decades.  Peyton Ledford had the honor of introducing "his professor" and explained that Professor Abraham continues to teach, write, participate in scholarly conferences, and attend Supreme Court sessions at the estimable age of 87.  Professor Abraham illustrated his analysis of Supreme Court appointments with numerous engaging stories and we hope that he might visit us again in the near future.

The Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville honored a Legion of Honor member and 45-year Kiwanian, F. Richard (Dick) Lentzsch, with the Hixson Award presented in a surprise ceremony at their regular meeting on October 8 at the Ponderosa Restaurant. Flanking Dick is new president Morgan Estabrook (at right) and Dick's special guest for dinner. On the following Monday, the club inducted new member Don Foss into the club. Pictured is Immediate Past Lt Gov of Division Five, Herb Ely, (at left) who invited Don to join and presided over the ceremony. Mr. Foss recently retired as a teacher from Albemarle High School, where he was the Key Club faculty adviser for nearly 25 years. The club honored Don Foss several years ago by awarding him the Hixson Award for his outstanding service to the youth at AHS. Don Foss is now the Kiwanis Liaison with the AHS Key Club and announced that it currently has 220 members. The Charlottesville Club sponsors six Key Clubs, a Builders Club, and CKI at UVA, providing opportunities for service and leadership to more than 400 youth in the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle and Fluvanna Counties.

Charlottesville achieved an interclub with the participation of four Kiwanians at the 89th Capital District Convention held at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland over the weekend of August 17-18-19. President-Elect Morgan Estabrook, Past-Lt.Gov Don Jones, Secretary Jim Hart, and Lt.Gov. Herb Ely attended the inspirational breakfasts, the fellowship luncheon, and the gala Governor's Banquet. 117 of the 179 clubs in the District were represented at the House of Delegates sessions, where Past Gov. Jerry Peuler was elected as the District's candidate for International Trustee. Art Riley will succeed Bob Cressy as District Governor and Tom Ganse is standing in the wings as Governor-Elect for 2008-09. The theme of the conference was "Building a Better Tomorrow through Service" and the Charlottesville Kiwanians were able to attend many education and training sessions to help us do just that. Service Leadership Programs were especially highlighted with two District Key Club Projects: "Nothing but Nets" (sending specially-treated mosquito netting to protect children in malaria-ravaged villages in Africa) and "Operation GI" (providing gifts and interaction to our men and women in uniform, those returning from service, and their families.) Next year's District Convention will be held in Richmond, Virginia.

Kiwanis Secretary Jim Hart and Vice President Norm Gutzler represented Charlottesville at the 92nd Annual Kiwanis International Convention held in San Antonio, Texas over the Fourth of July holiday. Two of the fourteen votes taken by the delegates were especially important: (1) the Kiwanis International CEO will assume day-to-day administrative duties previously performed by the KI president, who remains chairman of the board and chief volunteer officer; (2) the KI Board of Trustees now has the flexibility to create and test new forms of membership and ways to participate in Kiwanis service. Norm and Jim attended several training sessions, including a very dynamic session conducted by past KI president, Steve Siemens, entitled "How to Kill Your Kiwanis Club." All those at the convention were rejuvenated in their commitment to help Kiwanis reach one million members by 2015, the 100th anniversary of our organization. Next year's International Convention will be held June 26th-29th in Orlando, Florida.

Charlottesville Kiwanis Feeds Hungry Children

Six Kiwanians accompanied by one Kiwanis spouse helped prepare and serve the evening meal at the Salvation Army homeless shelter's soup kitchen on June 29. Approximately 100 hungry and homeless folks, including 25 children, were served a delicious and nutritious meal consisting of beef and mac, corn, apple sauce, and a wide variety of desserts. Pictured from left are President Philip Day, Charlie Krizek, Virginia Rybolt, LTG Herb and Bonnie Ely, Secretary Jim Hart, and Peyton Ledford. The Salvation Army serves more than 200 meals daily and approximately 70,000 meals per year. Twenty-five per cent of those receiving help from The Salvation Army (at the shelter, in transitional housing, or in the soup kitchen) are children. Charlottesville Kiwanis also made a $200 gift to the Salvation Army to cover the cost of the meal they prepared and served.

Click here to see the "thank you" ad that appeared in the Daily Progress.