By Jenna Sue Payne, Digital Sales Manager • jenna@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — 43 years, over 60,000 hours, over 600,000.00 raised, and nearly 600,000.00 dollars donated, the Fort Payne Kiwanis Club is no stranger to raising money, and building a better community.
The Fort Payne Kiwanis Club is a service organization that is dedicated to helping others. Thru fundraising efforts like the Annual Kiwanis Pancake Day, the organization has funded college scholarships, IPADS for Fort Payne City School Students, Promethium Boards in the City Schools. Our club assisted in building the Special needs playground in the Alabama Walking Park by partnering with The Fort Payne Optimist Club and Gametime. Money raised from the annual BOOMDAYS PANCAKE BREAKFAST helps fund the Children’s Advocacy Center. This dynamic club is comprised of caring, concerned and dedicated men and women. They frequently volunteer with local projects like Meals on Wheels, RIF Reading Program, Book Buddy and the Fort Payne Track Meet.
Everybody loves coming together to serve pancakes. There is a special skill to it. Some of our veteran members even know how to make Mickey Mouse shape pancakes for the kids who come thru. Members like George and Scott Weatherly as well as Tommy Hicks and Sharon Jones have been instrumental in selling banners to help fund this project. Special thanks to dozens of leading business owners contribute year after year by purchasing banners and tickets to help ensure the clubs success. This year was no exception. It was one of the largest yielding Pancake Days in the history of the club.
The Fort Payne Kiwanis Club is committed to inspiring leadership to young men and women thru sponsoring the Fort Payne Key Club under the direction of Valerie Barnes. These local teens donate dozens of hours a year to our various volunteer projects, like Pancake Day and Christmas in the Park. They also learn sales skills, by selling tickets to our annual Pancake Day. Fort Payne Kiwanis also sponsors a FORT PAYNE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OF THE MONTH. This gives us the opportunity to honor an outstanding student. The selected student is recognized in front of the club and their family and awarded a $100.00 cash prize.
Each year the club’s president and the board help spearhead a community project. President Randy Posey states: “This year we selected a very competitive project that will allow young men and women to reach new goals of achievement. We’ve partnered with Gametime on a very special project that is really exciting for us.” Construction will begin on the all new state of the art NINJA PARK at Fort Payne Middle School. This fitness challenge will help preteens get fit, and have fun in a constructive positive play environment. It also allows them to create new goals and feel the satisfaction of striving and achieving them thru fitness and technology.
“We have been very pleased by the support we have experienced in the ability to fund this project.” adds member Christian Payne.
Randy Posey continues: “We are an action oriented club. Our club initiates a vision of a worthy project, then we find a way to fund it! We are so thankful for the participation of our local industry and business owners.”
If your business or company would like to get involved with the Fort Payne Kiwanis please contact Kiwanis Club President Randy Posey, 256 365 8805. Or join them at the Wednesday morning regular meetings at Western Sizzlin in Fort Payne at 7 am. The Fort Payne Kiwanis are always looking for new members who want to serve their community.
