Clinton Twp. Kiwanis supports youth in variety of ways

SERVICE CIRCUIT

From the Clinton Township Kiwanis Club are Lori Stillwell, Franny Kanalos, Kerry Jantz, Rowdy Stillwell, Austin Stillwell, Alexis Stillwell, Connie Bukowski, Carol Barker, Evette Szajna-Carr, Laura Bianco, Paulette Singer. JoJo Zager, seated, added Kiwanis donations to his project of collecting food for the Community Food Bank of Macomb County. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI STILLWELL

On May 28, the Clinton Township Kiwanis Club gave out two of its scholarships to students from the International Academy of Macomb. Present were school advisor Elaine Jirkans, Clinton Township Kiwanis president RJ Koss, graduate Andrew Simon, graduate Larnia Tabakovic, and Kiwanis president-elect Lori Stillwell. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLINTON TOWNSHIP KIWANIS CLUB

Image

JoJo Zager is only 11-years-old but has rallied many adults to his cause of collecting items for the Community Food Bank of Macomb County. The Kiwanis Club of Clinton Township is one of the entities helping the young man’s project that has been in the news recently.

“He was doing this through libraries,” Kiwanian Kerry Jantz said. “And the Clinton-Macomb Library was closed for almost a month when they did their renovation and no one was able to get back to him. So we (Kiwanis) said we’ll get you some more donation points in the community and we did that.”

Until Thursday, June 12, anyone can take nonperishable food items (no glass) to the Clinton Township Civic Center and township businesses like Lee’s Famous Chicken at 41501 Garfield Road, Great Shots Backyard Bar and Games, 36901 Garfield Road, and Epique Realty, 44633 N. Gratiot Avenue.

Public library drop-offs are in Mount Clemens, Fraser, Harrison Township, Center Line and Eastpointe. Other libraries are the MacDonald Public Library in New Baltimore and the Civic Center Library in Warren. The Community Food Bank is at 44900 Vic Wertz Drive, Clinton Township.

On Wednesday, the young man spoke to Kiwanis club members about his dream and vision to help people who are in need of food.

“This boy wants to help the community. That’s the kind of stuff we need to help youth with,” Jantz said. “We don’t want him to fall short of his goal and be less likely to want to do something like this in future. We’ve got to water these dreams that he has and make sure he has a great experience.”

The Kiwanis Club of Clinton Township is using scholarship money to “water the dreams” of many more young people this graduation season, with scholarships.

The club recently announced it awarded scholarships totaling $27,000 to 14 seniors in the Chippewa Valley school district. The money was divided up among the students. All scholarship recipients this year were members of their high school Key Clubs, a student-led organization sponsored by the Clinton Township Kiwanis whose goal is to encourage leadership through serving others.

Jantz said they allocated $33,000 for scholarships and offered them for trade school but didn’t have those applicants this year.

“Out of the $100,000 we raise every year about a third goes to scholarships,” Jantz said. “Kids are our future and any way we can help them, we do. It was very competitive this year; the kids are so smart.”

“These students have demonstrated hard work and academic success in the classroom and a commitment to service, assisting those less fortunate in the Clinton Township community,” club president RJ Koss said. “Our Kiwanis club raised funds during the year from events such as our annual wild game dinner, annual golf outing, charity poker, the sale of gourmet nuts and other member activities.”

Scholarship recipients graduating from Chippewa Valley High School include Emily Adamick and Mikayla Nichols, who will be attending Michigan State University; Kylie McConnell and Lucia Randolph, who will study at Wayne State University; and Sara Swartz, heading for Ohio’s Bowling Green State University.

Dakota High School recipients are Lanette Simons going to the University of Michigan; Alesa Yelda who will be attending the University of Detroit Mercy; Caroline Genna attending Michigan State University; and Ariana Heugh, studying at Wayne State University. Recipients Eliana Kozlowski, Fiona Cito and Jordyn Scheverlein are undecided as to their college selection.

Graduating from the International Academy of Macomb are scholarship recipients Andrew Simon who will attend Oakland University and Lamia Tabakovic who chose the University of Michigan.

The club’s 45 members organize a food drive among 15 schools at Thanksgiving time for about 300 families in need and for local food pantries, supports the Clinton Township Challenger baseball program and an inclusive playground, and helps disabled people. The club is a major sponsor of the Kids Coalition Against Hunger and leads the Wreaths Across America project at Resurrection Cemetery. Hundreds of children in foster care are treated to a Kiwanis Christmas party every year with the help of the Key clubs.

The club recently kicked off the first of three scholarship breakfasts, giving praise to the school advisors who guide the Key Clubs and allowing time for the students to speak about their goals.

“It’s always a special morning for us,” Jantz said.

The club’s 22nd annual golf outing is Monday, July 14 at Sycamore Hills Golf Club, 48787 North Avenue, Macomb. Shotgun start is at 10 a.m. and the event includes 18 holes with cart, breakfast, lunch and dinner. For ticket information, contact Lori Stilwell at 586-295-7957 or Evette Szajna at 586-996-5525.

Early-bird registration per golfer is $150 until June 16 and $175 after, and a foursome is $600 now and $700 later. The club welcomes sponsors for tees, closest to the pin, longest drive, title, hole-in-one and major sponsor for a Bloody Mary Bar. Details are on the club’s Facebook page.

Send news of service clubs and veterans organizations to Linda May at lindamay@ameritech.net or call landline 586-791-8116.