Kiwanis Club of Tempe


	UPCOMING MEETINGS AUG 19 - Board Meeting The regular August meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Tempe Board of Directors will be 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Pyle Adult Recreation, 655 E. Southern Ave., Tempe. All officers and directors should attend, but it is open to any Club members. New members qualify for their pins and permanent badges by attending a board meeting. UPCOMING PROGRAMS SEPT. 11 - Pam Goronkin, former Tempe City Councilman and current executive director of Mill Avenue District, or Downtown Tempe Community. Pam recently announced her retirement from that role to spend more time with her husband, Herb. Her last day is Sept. 15. Pam is a director-elect to the KCOT Board of Directors and a longtime member of KCOT’s Membership and Development Committee, who has oriented many new members in recent years. Pam was on city council 2002-2006. Taking over at the DTC is Nancy Hoffman, wh has lived in the Valley about a year and who has worked with downtown organizations in Dallas, Texas, and Raleigh, N.C. She owns Hormann & Associates Urban Marketing and Management. SEPT. 18 - Michael Medoro, new director of Project C.U.R.E.’s Arizona program in Tempe. He leads the program here that actively seeks and collects surplus and unused equipment, supplies and materials from hospitals, clinics, doctors offices and companies. Volunteers then sort and organize the donations for shipment to many countries across the globe where they are needed. Several years ago KCOT members spent part of a Saturday sorting supplies at its site on Cedar Street near Price Road. SEPT. 25 - Andy Dzurinko, author of "Power of Optimism: Insights to Personal and Professional Growth." He asserts, "Understanding some of the basic principles of behavioral dynamics is the first step in developing your full potential in life." A native of Monessen, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, Andy now resides in Chandler. He has more than 20 years experience with American United Life Insurance Company as a training director, regional vice president of agencies, general agent and agent. He owns an insurance business based in Tempe. He is executive director of the Arizona Governor's Council on Health, Physical Fitness and Sports and he is president of the Frank Kush Youth Foundation. He is also a former teacher and football coach on the high school and college level. OCT. 2 - Four Mayors of Tempe’s current Sister Cities. Got some ideas for a program or speaker? Call Chris Rosner, 480-227-6944, or Joe Schmoker, (480) 898-1708. Pay for your member fees online.

About the Kiwanis Club of Tempe

Founding of Club

The Kiwanis Club of Tempe traces its beginning to the post-World War II boom that saw populations expand across America, and small desert communities like Tempe grow and gradually mature. The Club was chartered on Feb. 20, 1952, through the work of the Phoenix Valley of the Sun Kiwanis Club, the 55th oldest Kiwanis Club, founded in 1918. For months, its sent members into Tempe to target men who had the interest, time and and will to be active in a civic service club. It was on a Wednesday night that 26 recruitments to the Kiwanis movement gathered at the now-gone Desert Landings Grill as its charter members. Harry Burger was elected as the first president.

It was determined that regular weekly meetings would be noon Thursdays at the American Legion Hall. At one of the first meetings, a few members of the New York Giants baseball team that had played in the 1951 World Series showed up and provided a movie highlights of their series with the Yankees.

The first major project was to hold a city fireworks show at now-razed Goodwin Stadium. "A whiz-bang display of pyrotechnics" of 185 "aerial pieces" was offered, along with an American flag of "colored fire," a "Niagara Falls" plus such entertainment as gasoline powered model airplanes and a trampoline demonstration. Proceeds would go for "underprivileged children," the club history said. About 2,000 saw that first firework show that generated $1,483 in gross income and $1,244 expenses, leaving $230 in net income. The fireworks resulted in to small fires, one in which a fireball fell on a house on East 14th Street and toasted the composition shingles. The other fell onto stadium seating.

By August of that first year, KCOT was sponsoring the Miss Tempe contest that would lead the winner to Atlantic City and the Miss America contest. The club would give her $100 for her personality, intelligence and talent. Seven competed for the prize. The winner, Mary Lou Lindly, went on to be chosen Miss Arizona and go to Atlantic City.

By the end of the Club's first year, members was designing a float for Salad Bowl parade -- and KCOT was well on its way.

Supporting College Students through Circle-K

KCOT sponsors ASU Circle K Club whose focus on service to the community, building tomorrow’s leaders, and creating fellowship between Circle K members is key. Service, a fundamental element of Circle K International, is exemplified by the more than one million hours of service on Circle K members contribute on campuses and in communities annually. A primary focus of Circle K, and shared with Kiwanis International, is serving the children of the world. Circle K International has crated a service initiative called Focusing on the Future: Children. This initiative encourages members to address the issues facing children ages six to 13 and to find solutions through service for addressing these issues. Our club donates $5,000 annually to support our Circle K Club.