D13W 4th of July Parade
JS, GALA, D13W
On the 4th of July, GALA Key Club was invited by the Santa Monica Kiwanis Club to join LACES, Palisades, and Crystal Kiwins at the Santa Monica 4th of July Parade to commemorate the Santa Monica Key Club’s 100th Anniversary. We met up at Santa Monica beach at 8:30 to decorate the parade truck before the event. By the end of the hour, the white truck was completely unrecognizable, and was decked out with red, white, and blue tinsel and draped in American flag banners. After decorating, we drove to the parade route and waved to spectators as we marched down Main Street. All in all, we were super appreciative to have been able to meet clubs outside our division. We look forward to next year’s parade!
D13N Taste of Lakewood
AT, Saint Joseph, D13N
Taste of Lakewood service event took place on June 25 from 3:30-9:00pm. Division 13 North and I helped collect tickets for the Lakewood Block Party food stands. I was assigned to help at the Raising Cane’s stand. It was really crowded and there were a lot of people who wanted chicken tenders. Katie, my partner, and I sang songs and did dance moves to promote Cane's. Besides collecting tickets, I helped pass out napkins and tell employees customer orders. We filled almost four jars of tickets and I learned a lot from the Cane's employees. They even tried hiring me at one point! At the end, there were fireworks and I got to watch with all my friends. The service event was a lot of fun and I enjoyed hanging out with everyone from Raising Cane’s and I hope to do a service event like this again!!
D13W Ballona Creek Cleanup
AF, GALA, D13W
On Saturday, June 11th 2022, Division 13 West teamed up with the nonprofit Friends of Ballona Wetlands and held a creek cleanup! The event began with introductions to get to know the workers & their roles with the organization. To acquaint ourselves with the creek, we toured the area and prepared for the activity by suiting up with gloves and trashbags. Afterwards, we made our way to the site and picked up a variety of trash, with the total collected amounting to over 45 pounds! We were incredibly happy to help dwindle the amount of trash that appears on Ballona Creek and learn more about the importance of a clean environment!
Officer Training Conference
KS, SOAR, D38W
Some of our D38W officers and members were able to attend this year’s OTC held at SOAR High School. The evening started off with an icebreaker to get to know everyone. Then it was followed by more presentations, including one from the Kiwanis. The night then continued with a potluck and a service activity. In this activity, Key Clubbers decorated bags, wrote inspirational notes, and packed 50 kits together. The kits were packed with school supplies to create 9th grade survival kits that will be donated to two schools in the Antelope Valley High School District. Overall, the event allowed our officers and members to meet new people, learn about their positions, and have fun. Once the night came to an end, everyone left more knowledgeable and with a smile on their face!
Writing Wonders
SB, Westview, D37S
Through the Writing Wonders website, I selected multiple different events (children, elderly, and health care workers) to write positive letters to. After researching more about the organization, I realized how important it is to uplift others, even in simple ways. I made sure to make every letter unique for each person. For a health care worker, I wrote a thank-you note expressing my gratitude for their bravery and sacrifices throughout these few years. For St. Jude Children's hospital, I made an e-card with a cute picture and encouraging note. Finally, for senior citizens, I created two cards on paper with positive messages and hand-drawn pictures. Overall, it was a great way to be creative while helping the community.