Over 60 years of peanut sales to help others
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[On June 26 Mayor Eric Gregg proclaimed Saturday, July 14 as Kiwanis Peanut Day in Harrisburg.
Kiwanis Peanut Day began 61 years ago nation wide. Since then it has helped Kiwanis International to collect almost $73,000,000 for their charities. It continues to be the most successfully coordinated, one-day fund raising program in Kiwanis history. It is also a primary funding source for the Harrisburg Club to serve local youth programs.
The Feb. 29 tornado gave Kiwanis International an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to children. The Harrisburg Club was contacted quickly to see what assistance other Kiwanis Clubs could give. A charitable account was established with the International organization providing a $5,000 grant to start the process. Since then, money continues to come into the Harrisburg relief fund from clubs across the country. Many have sponsored pancake breakfasts and other fundraisers and it appears Kiwanis will receive over $20,000 in donations from outside Harrisburg for kids affected in Saline and Gallatin counties. The club has a committee meeting with schools and government officials to identify the most serious and immediate needs. Thousands of dollars have already been given to kid's families to help rebuild their lives. This process will continue until all moneys have been distributed to the most needy situations.
Although most of the efforts are to serve our local children, Kiwanis is a global
organization dedicated to serve children worldwide. On the international level, the club helps support the Eliminate Program, which is designed to end maternal/prenatal tetanus in 38 countries around the world. MNT kills one baby every nine minutes. The effects are excruciating and once contracted there is little hope of survival. And tetanus kills mothers too.
Just three doses of a $.60 immunization will protect mothers, who then pass on the immunity to their future babies. Kiwanis is combining with UNICEF to stop this disease - with your help.
Kiwanians also support the Spastic Paralysis Research Foundation, which is a Kiwanis International program that provides world-class researchers looking for cures for Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, leukemia, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and other neurological diseases of the central nervous system. This is also the second year the Harrisburg Club has sponsored a well to be dug in an Africa that will provide the first clean drinking water for the children in that village.
On the local level the club was instrumental in raising almost $9,000 for the summer
baseball/softball program in Harrisburg, as well as sponsoring a team in that program.
We also provided financial support to: the 4 C's, Caring for Kids, CASA, HHS Band,
Kids Fishing Day, Relay for Life, Shawnee Resource Center, Shop with a Cop, Special Olympics, Williams Hill Pass, HMC Foundation, SIC Foundation and Marion Medical Missions, among other projects. The Kiwanis Club is also sponsor of the Builder's Club in the middle school, the Key Club at the high school and the Circle K at the college. We are working to establish a Kids Club at the elementary level.
October 2012 will mark the 90th year anniversary of the Harrisburg Club. We are one of the oldest, continuous functioning clubs in the country. Harrisburg last year was the third largest growing club in all of Illinois and Eastern Iowa. This year we plan to top that.
The organization meets noon every Wednesday at Ponderosa. Kiwanis is always looking for new members who want to serve the children of the world. During the past 90 years our members have been devoting their free time, talent, energy and resources to help make Harrisburg and the world a better place to live and work. All members volunteer their time and none are paid for their efforts.
From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kiwanis volunteers will be located at two intersections in Harrisburg and at Kroger's and Rural King.
They will be giving out packets of peanuts in exchange for donations. They ask the community to support the children of the world by making a donation to the club. Business who would like to help underwrite the peanut costs are appreciated. Any businesses or individuals that might want to contribute may do so by mailing donations to: Harrisburg Kiwanis, 930 Big Ridge Road, Harrisburg, or contact any Kiwanis Member.