Sing along with the members of the Kiwanis Club of East Lansing as they commemorate the 60th anniversary of their chapter. Community Services Chair Barbara Hollstein shares her experiences with the group, such as being a woman in a traditionally male organization, and senior members share their favorite moments with Kiwanis.
With the singing of “Happy Birthday” and a birthday cake to match, members of the Kiwanis Club of East Lansing celebrated a landmark anniversary Monday afternoon at the Union.
The club celebrated its 60th anniversary, and for those in attendance, it was a commemoration of how the club has helped the city, its residents and MSU students.
The Kiwanis Club is a community service organization dedicated to improving childrens’ lives, club president and East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said.
The club held its charter dinner Jan. 11, 1950, and has hosted annual Easter egg hunts, organized relays for high school students and spent time with mentally handicapped children, all of which are part of the organization’s mission to help young people, Wibert said.
“Kids are the future,” said Wibert, the master of ceremonies for the gathering.
“The time that you can change a life is when the values are being formed. That’s where you can have the greatest impact — by focusing attention on the kids.”
The city of East Lansing owes a lot to the Kiwanis Club, said East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis, who attended the celebration.
“Kiwanis has been a very important part of the community for 60 years,” Loomis said. “They’ve done a wonderful job.”
Wibert has been a member of the Kiwanis Club for five years. He considers himself to be a newcomer among a crowd of longtime members, some of whom have been with the club for more than 50 years. But the club isn’t only directed toward adults, he said.
MSU’s Circle K Club, a community service group for college students, has followed Kiwanis’ lead and has about 30 members, he said.
In her two years with Circle K, vice president and zoology sophomore Gillian Reily said she has experienced something she will remember for the rest of her life.
Reily has been involved with Kiwanis since high school, and in her six years of service she said she has felt more connected with the community. She plans to continue to participate after college.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “It’s something I will definitely want to be a part of my whole life after I graduate. It’s such a huge part of the community. Anywhere you go, there’s a Kiwanis Club.”
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