Leigh Culpepper, the president-elect of the Kiwanis Club of Thomson, presented a $120 check to the Thomson High School Key Club.
The Kiwanis supports the Key Club, which is a student service organization that is a part of Kiwanis International. The funds presented Feb. 6 will help offset the cost of the club’s annual dues.
Kiwanis supports the student organization in a variety of ways, said faculty adviser Christy Donovan. Kiwanis members help students find volunteer hours in addition to the volunteer efforts Key Club member put forth at their own level.
The Key Club acts as a junior segment of Kiwanis, espousing a variety of local and national charity organizations. Because they are part of Kiwanis, they support the Kiwanis’ key charities such as the March of Dimes, UNICEF and the Children’s Miracle Network. On a local level, the students hold fundraisers such as bake sales and diaper drives for MANNA, a local charity supported by area churches, and Partners for Success.
Each year at Christmas, Key Club members sponsor children from the Angel Tree to support with Christmas presents.
“These kids get it. They realize that that’s my neighbor. That’s my cousin, that’s people in their community,” Donovan said.
The connections between Kiwanis members and Key Club members also becomes invaluable when students begin seeking letters of recommendations for college applications and scholarships.
“These kids have already figured out that these are the movers and shakers in the business community,” Donovan said.
