No Pancakes, but You Can Support Kiwanis

KIWANIS OF DURANGO HAS SERVED THE DURANGO COMMUNITY FOR 73 YEARS, AND WHILE PANCAKE DAY WILL CERTAINLY BE MISSED THIS YEAR – FOR ALL OF US – THERE IS MORE TO KNOW ABOUT KIWANIS AND ALL THE THINGS THEY DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.YOU’RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY PUEBLO COMMUNITY COLLEGE . I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.THE KIWANIS RAISE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR – AND EVERY DOLLAR GOES BACK TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.  26 NON-PROFITS FROM BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS , THE LA PLATA FAMILY CENTER, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE AND MANY MORE GROUPS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE WORK OF THE DURANGO KIWANIS.ROBERT WHITSON HAS BEEN PART OF THE DURANGO BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AND HE GOT INVOLVED IN THE KIWANIS 7 YEARS AGO BECAUSE ITS MISSION MATCHED HIS OWN PASSIONS, AND HE WANTED TO GIVE BACK.AND THE CHILDREN ARE, THEY’RE OUR FUTURE. AND IF WE’RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THEM AND GIVING THEM LEADERSHIP AND GUIDING THEM, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BE? WHO’S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ME, AND THE REST OF US? SO I AM HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH KIWANIS AND THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB. THOSE ARE MY TWO MAIN PASSIONS. I’M WITH THE KIWANIS CLUB, AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, WE, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISERS, WHICH HAS PANCAKE DAY, WAS CANCELED THIS YEAR, BUT TWO, THE REASON THAT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE RAISED DURING PANCAKE DAY, EVERY DIME OF THAT GOES BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT ANY ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS AND HELPS KIDS. WHILE PANCAKE DAY IS LITERALLY A DAY OF GOBBLING DOWN ALL THE PANCAKES, EGGS, HAM AND BACON THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY EAT, IT IS ALSO THE KIWANIS LARGEST FUNDRAISER FOR THE YEAR, AND ITS CANCELLATION BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC LEAVES A BIG FINANCIAL HOLE, NOT ONLY FOR THE KIWANIS, BUT FOR MANY NON-PROFIT ORGANZATIONS IT SUPPORTS.CHILD SAFETY DAY IS ANOTHER EVENT HOSTED BY THE KIWANIS IN BOTH DURANGO AND BAYFIELD ,AND ROBERT SAYS THAT WATCHING THE KIDS INTERACT WITH THE FIREMAN AND POLICEMEN IS THE PERFECT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR KIDS.  I HAD THE CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CHILD SAFETY DAY, YOU KNOW, GETTING THOSE GROUPS OF KIDS AND WATCHING, YOU KNOW, THEM BE REALLY INVOLVED WITH EITHER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE ELECTRICAL, I WANT TO SAY 15, 20 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. YOU KNOW, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, LPEA COMES OUT, ATMOS COMES OUT. AND THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO GET, LET THE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, TEACH THEM TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THE DO’S AND DON’TS ARE. YOU KNOW, DON’T DO THIS, DON’T DO THIS. THESE ARE THINGS TO LOOK FOR TYPE THING. ALL OF THE KIWANIS’ PROJECTS INVOLVING IN-PERSON CONTACT WITH CHILDREN WILL BE AFFECTED THIS YEAR DUE TO COVID19.IN LIEU OF PANCAKE DAY TICKETS, PEOPLE CAN MAKE A DONATION ON THE GO FUND ME KIWANIS CLUB OF DURANGO LINK LISTED BELOW OR CONTACT ROBERT AT 970-403-8780.KIWANAS IS HOPING TO INVOLVE MORE PEOPLE IN ITS ORGANIZATION AND THERE IS A PLACE FOR ALL AGES TO BE PART OF THIS SERVICE ORGANIZATION. SO AS WITH ANY ORGANIZATION, SOMETIMES THEY GET A LITTLE TOP HEAVY, WE GET PEOPLE WHO AGE. SO IT’S A CONSTANT BATTLE TO EDUCATE AND GET OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE INTO THE, INTO THE CLUB. SO ONE THING THAT I’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH IS GETTING OUR KEY CLUB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL UP AND RUNNING. SO BASICALLY, A KEY CLUB DOES THE SAME THING AS OUR KIWANIS CLUB DOES. AND THEN WE’RE ALSO WORKING ON GETTING A CIRCLE K CLUB AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL. SO THE PRINCIPLE IS THESE, THESE CLUBS STILL ALL DO THE SAME THING. THEY HAVE SERVICE PROJECTS THAT THEY DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO HELP THE CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THEY RAISE FUNDS IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A PLAN IN PLACE AND KEEPING IN PLACE IS TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AND THEN GET THEM ENGAGED AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL. SO THEN THE NEXT STEP IS THEY CAN JOIN THE CLUB IN THE TOWN THEY’RE AT. SO EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY HAVE DONE KEY CLUB HERE IN DURANGO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND MAYBE EVEN DID THE CIRCLE K CLUB AT THE COLLEGE, IF YOU WERE TO SAY, GO AWAY TO, ANOTHER TOWN, THERE’S A KIWANIS CLUB THERE. JOIN THEM. MEMBERSHIP FOR THE KIWANIS IS OPEN. THE CLUB MEETS AT NOON ON THURSDAYS OVER ZOOM TO NETWORK, LISTEN TO A VARIETY OF SPEAKERS AND DISCUSS SERVICE PROJECTS. MORE INFORMATION ON MEMBERSHIP GO TO KIWANISCLUBOFDURANGO.ORG OR CALL 970-403-8780.THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO WATCH, LISTEN TO A PODCAST OF OUR STORIES AVAILABLE ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.