Kiwanis Club of Rock Springs is turning 75

THE KIWANIS CLUB OF ROCK SPRINGS

CHARTERED NOVEMBER 15, 1949

The following is a list of some of the Club achievements and activities since its inception, not necessarily in the order presented:

• Provided funds for local early childcare at the YWCA
• Supports our local Boys and Girls Club.
• Supports Wyoming Raising Readers
• Supports community charity events including Relay for Life, City-wide Cleanup, and Salvation Army Bell ringers.
• Sponsors the annual Shop with a Cop for at-risk children to shop for Christmas presents for their families. This is our Signature Project
• Supports Dolly Parton Imagination Library through the United Way.
• Provides immunization reminder and chart refrigerator magnets for newborns at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County.
• Sponsors high school students at the annual Wyoming Youth Leadership Conference.
• Supports Big Brothers, Big Sisters Bowl for Kids’ Sake.
• Participates in Raising Readers in Rock Springs and Green River including book distribution and fundraising to maintain the program.
• Helps promote community events through having a grill for events such as Rods & Rails, International Day, and Halloween Stroll.
• The Club has won several District Achievement Awards.
• Acquired and cleared land for an Athletic field known as Kiwanis Park which is still active.  In 2007, added playground equipment for young children at Kiwanis Field in cooperation with the Community Foundation.
• Supported Church League and Little League Athletic activities.
• Organized and supports or has supported CKI, Key Clubs, 2 Builder’s Clubs and an Aktion Club.
• Supports Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
• Supported Boy’s State and Girl’s State.
• Supported “Kids Day” programs.
• Honors outstanding High School and Junior High School students
• Supports a scholarship at WWCC in honor of Ralph Craft (founder of local Rock Springs Club)
• Supported Special Olympics.
• Organized and presented an amateur talent show for students, kindergarten – high school, known as the “Stars of Tomorrow”.
• Organized and sponsored a “Conference on Leisure-Recreation” for the three years (1966-1968), which won national and international recognition and support.
• Organized and presented a Sunday night lecture series known as “Leadership for Freedom”.  Lecturers were of regional, national and international repute.
• The Club originated the project and assisted in surveying and locating the point where the Northwest Territory, the Louisiana Territory and Mexico met – a point now known as the Tri-Territory Historical Site, where a monument was erected and dedicated in 1967.
• Sponsored a joint Ladies Night with Rotary, Lions and Exchange Clubs of Rock Springs.
• Several present and past members of the Club have been Lt. Governors of Division 13.  One went on to become Governor of the Rocky Mountain District.
• Two members received the Kiwanis Award for Distinguished Community Service, presented by the Casper Kiwanis Club.
• Provided a flag and flagpole for the White Mountain Golf Club at the North Park Recreation Area raised in a dedication ceremony in 1978.
• Has sponsored Ranch City Week, National Wildlife Essay Contest, Bicycle Safety Day and Recognition of 4-H Leader of the Year.
• Purchased religious books for the library.
• Awarded “Teacher of the month” citations.
• Presented “Church Layman’s” awards.
• Recognized “Public Work Leader”.
• Participated in Canada-United States “Good Will Week”.
• Organized “Father/Daughter/Son” banquets.
• Supported Sweetwater County Drug/Alcohol Abuse programs.
• The Club Supported the City Recreation and Beautification Program.  In 1981, 60-man hours were donated to planting trees, and then challenged other clubs and organizations to do likewise.  Many groups accepted the challenge, and much was accomplished in the beautification of the city.
• Provided funds to help junior high students attend National History Day in Washington, D.C.
• Hosted 1982 and 1997 Divisional “Stars of Tomorrow” shows.
• Helped the Little League buy new batting cages and scoreboard at Kiwanis Park