News
Bottineau's Kiwanis as a club conducts its first community project
Scott Wagar
06/05/2012
Bottineau Kiwanis Club, which was established in March of this year, conducted it first community project on May 28 when the group held a cleaning project along side Highway 5 east of Bottineau.
“To get things going, we wanted to do a beautification project,” said Keith Knudson, president of Bottineau’s Kiwanis Club. “We cleaned up the ditch and tree row there so it is a nice view when people come into town.”
The club, which has 23 members, spent the evening picking up garbage which typically ends up in ditches and tree rows. From plastic bottles, paper products and variety of other items, the group had the ditch and trees clear of debris in about an hour’s time.
“Joining Kiwanis is something I wanted to do because it is an organization that helps the community in so many ways,” said Dr. Ken Grosz, dean of Dakota College at Bottineau on Monday evening while picking up items out of the tree row in the ditch. “One of the ways Kiwanis helps a community is through a project like this.”
Knudson stated that Kiwanis Club is a community organization with the primary goal in assisting kids in the community.
“We do a lot of community service projects,” Knudson said. “But, it is more directed toward children.”
Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.. There are 15,000 clubs in 90 countries with over 600,000 volunteer members. Its mission is “changing the world one child and one community at a time”.
Kiwanis International has numerous programs that assist children, which include the Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs, Young Children: Priority One and the Worldwide Service Project.
The Kiwanis members consider their programs as an act of kindness, and they volunteer in such projects as eradicating diseases, building schools, sheltering the homeless and feeding the hungry worldwide.
For the Bottineau Kiwanis Club, its next project is in association with the Bottineau County Sheriff Department.
“We are establishing a children’s identification program for the local area,” Knudson said.
Knudson added the Bottineau Kiwanis Club plans to conduct two to three community projects each year.
The local Kiwanis are looking for more members, which can consist of individuals or business memberships.
The group meets every fourth Wednesday of each month at the Norway House where the club has a noon meal, discusses projects and has a speaker come in to address its members on social issues.
“We either have a community member or a state speaker come in and talk to us,” Knudson said. “And, anyone is welcome to come to our meetings. Guests to the meals will have their lunched provided by the Kiwanis.”
Individuals, who are interested in learning more about Kiwanis, or joining the local club chapter, can contact Knudson at 228-2160 or 263-4685.
You can also contact his brother, Brad Knudson, at 871-8921.