Our Projects

Service/Sponsored Program/Financial Support/Fund Raising/Fellowship

Reading is Fundamental - Four times a year, members go to the Head Start classroom at Willow Grove Church and spend a hour or so reading to and playing with the children there.  Each child is then given a book of their own to take home.  It has become our tradition to spend part of the time at our annual Christmas party packing stockings with presents for the Willow Grove children, which we deliver to them just before Christmas.

Handicapped Ramp - On Valentine's Day, we built a ramp to provide easy access for a phsically challenged sixteen year old boy to his trailor home.  We were assisted by Chesapeake Kiwanis President Lankford Smith who owns a company that builds decks and porches.  Now that we know how to do it, especially how to get through the red tape at City Hall, we hope to do more of these projects.

City Arboretum - The City is reforresting a long narrow track of land extending out from the present Arboretum.  Working with the City Arborist, we help level the site, spread mulch (following Isabel, the city has a plentiful supply) and prepare the site for planting.

Adopt -a-Spot -  In June 2004, we adopted a new City Park located off Cedar Road next to the Las Gaviotos Shopping Center.  The park is on a small parcel of land that the City will be landscaping and installing playgoround equiment during the next year.  Together with the hickory High Key Club, we expect to clean the park once a quarter

From the spring of 2001 through the summer of 2002, we cleaned and maintained the median on Mt Pleasant Road at the 168 Bypass.  One end was planted with flowers.  We  worked on the median once a quarter.

Scholoarships - annually, we present at least one scholarship to a graduating senior at Hickory High School.  THis year we gave $1000 to Melvina Queen, a Key Club member who will attend the University of Virgnia in pre-med.

Division Projects - Together with the other seven clubs in our Division, we provide manpower and funding for two large projects.

Division Fishing Day - held each summer on the James River Fishing Pier, this projects provides the opportunity for more than two hundred children to spend a day fishing.  Lunch, prizes, and entertainment are provided by the Kiwanians of Division 21.

Community Prayer Breakfast - held on the National Day of Prayer in May. this event at the Chesapeake Conference Center brings together more than 300 elected leaders, public safety officials, clergy and citizens of Chesapeake, Franklin, Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wight County in prayer for our community, our country, and the world.

In previous years, we have:

Chesapeake Kids Fishing Day - In conjunction with the Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department and local Bass Masters chapters, we sponsored this event for  twelve years.  We treated 80 - 100 children, selected by Parks and Rec, to a day of fishing on the Northwest River and in the ponds of the Northwest River Park.  We arranged the logistics, provided gifts for the participants (tee shirts, rods and reels) and cooked the lunch.  On the following day, we took 20 - 30 wheelchair bound people fishing in the park.  Currently, we put our efforts into the DIvision Fishing Day.

Hickory High School Key Club - We chartered this Key Club when Hickory High School opened in 1996.  Last year the Key Club was inactive.  We hope to identify and faculty advisor and reactivate the club during the 2001-02 school year.

Friends of Chesapeake Infant Intervention Service (FOCIIS) - The Chesapeake Infant Intervention Service seeks to identify children with developmental disabilities as early as possible and to provide therapy and remediation services.  FOCIIS is the community based fund raising arm of the organization.  We have supported FOCIIS for several years, primarily with the proceeds of our Spring Fling.  FOCIIS is in the early stages of a major capital campaign to build a building for the Service on the Chesapeake Campus of Tidewater Community College.

Children's Kiwanis Emergency Center - The 40 Kiwanis Clubs in the Hampton Roads area pledged $1,000,000 to endow a pediatric emergency center at the Childrens Hospital of the King's Daughters.  Pediatric Trauma is a specialized branch of medicine and the Center is the only one of its kind in the area.  Since it opened four years ago, it has treated tens of thousands of children from southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.  We dedicate the majority of the proceeds from our Golf Tournament to the Center.  So far, over $850,000 has been raised with our club contributing over $8,000 through the Children's Miracle Network Telethon.  We expect the project to continue once the pledge is meet by providing other things needed by the hospital.  An ambulance equipped for pediatric life support is at the top of the list.

World Wide Service Project - In 1994, Kiwanis International entered into partnership with the United Nations Childrens Fund to eliminate new cases of Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) throughout the world.  IDD is the major preventable cause of physical and mental disabilities in the world today and the effects are particularly severe on young children.  We have pledged to raise $75 million dollars and contributions to date total over $50 million.  When we began, over 1.5 billion people were at risk of IDD.  Because of what we have done, that number is less than 800 million today and falling rapidly.  Making our goal requires an average contribution of $185 per Kiwanian.  The Kiwanians of Great Bridge have contributed an average of more than $650 per member.

Ronald Macdonald House - The House provides a p[lace for families to stay while their children undergo treatment at Kings Daughters Hospital.  A major expansion is currently underway to double the capacity of the House from 19 to 38 family units.  Ronald Macdonald House was the major beneficiary of our 2001 Laff for the Kids.

Train Raffle and Gift Wrap - Our big fundraiser for this year and last year was raffling a fully equipped 4x8 O gauge model railtroad layout that was built by our member Bob Raub.  We began selling tickets in March 2003 and Santa Claus drew the winner on 21Dec 2003 at the Greenbrier Mall.  In order to gain access to the Mall, we had to agree to operate the gift wrap both as well.  The train raffle netted almost $10,000 for our charities and we distributed over $6,000 to organizations that help us with the gift wrap.

Concessions - We operate a food concession selling hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, chips, and soft drinks during Chesapeake Events.  This has proven to be a very successful fund raiser and we anticipate doing more of this type of event in the future.  We are gradually expanding our menu and buying equipment and currently own a tent, a grill, two large coolers and a popcorn machine.
 

Civil War Days - Sponsored by the Chesapeake Public Library, this is a three day encampment of Civil War reenactors on the
Central Library grounds in early September.

Medieval Fest - Sponsored by the Chesapeake Public Library, this is a one day event for knights, squires and maids on the Major Hillard Library grounds in April.

In previous years, we have done concessions for:

GreenSeas Festival -The Festival is an environmental event aimed at school children that is held every other year at Northwest River Park sponsored by the City's Park and Recreation Department in late summer.  The next one will be in 2001.

Fleet Week - A one day event held at Lock Park in October celebrating the US Navy with exhibits and a concert by the Navy Band.

Battle of Great Bridge - A two day event in early December at Chesapeake City Park commemorating the Battle of Great Bridge.

Symphony under the Stars - An outdoor performance by the Virginia Symphony in late September at the Chesapeake City Park.

Laff for the Kidz -  For  eleven years, we  held a Spring Fling to raise money for organizations serving young children in the Tidewater area.  An ongoing beneficiary of the project is the Friends of the Chesapeake Infant Intervention Service. For several years, the event has been a comedy night and auction with heavy hors d'oveurs.  The Holiday Inn Chesapeake has donated their ballroom for the event.  Entertainment has included professional comedians from the Thoroughgood Comedy Club.  For the two years, the headline act has been Chesapeake's own Sterling Riggs' "Tribute to Elvis".  Members sold tickets and obtained donated items for the auction.  Laff 2001   raised over $4,000 with Ronald Macdonald House as a major beneficiary.

Christmas Sales - Sales of Entertainment Books were once a major fundraiser for the club.  In recent years, however, so many other organizations have been selling them, that it ceased to be profitable.  Now, we have a low level campaign primarily as a convenience for our members.  We usually obtaining a box or two of books for sale to members and friends.  We have also sold sleeves of peanuts obtained from the Kiwanis Club of Suffolk.

Fifth Tuesday Outing - Whenever there are five Tuesday's in a month, we make the last one a night out with spouses and family invited.  We have cruised on the American Rover and dined in good restaurants throughout Tidewater

Christmas Party - Members take turns hosting the annual Christmas Party in their homes.  Typically, the club buys the ham and chicken and the members bring potluck to complete the meal.  We generally take some time during the party to prepare Christmas Stockings to give to the Cildren in our Reading is Fundamental gourp.

Pool Party - Sometime during the summer, Secretary Vancy Parrish hosts a potluck supper by her pool for members and their families.

Other Club's Events.  We regularly participate in events sponsored by other clubs. almost all of which involve food

Chesapeake Kiwanis Shrimpfest - Held in May each year to kick off the Chesapeake Jubilee, it's all the shrimp and bar-b-que you can eat and all the beer and soda you can drink, plus ice cream for dessert.

Manassas Kiwanis Steakfry - Held at the Inn at Vint Hill in Northern Virginia each May, it features large steaks and all the trimmings in an elegant dining experience.

West Point Kiwanis Crab Feast - Held at the Wext Point Country Club near Richmond each August, this event is for serious crab lovers.