Kiwanis – A Celebration of Community

Can you say “Kiwanis”? That name, derived from a Native American expression, “Nunc Kee-wanis,” means “We trade.” The motto evolved a bit to become “We build.” Those words were the origin of Kiwanis International, a service organization founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. Through time, the club’s motto has evolved to embrace the true mission of Kiwanis, “Serving the Children of the World.” The Kiwanis Club of Marco Island lives this mission as we trade, we build, and we serve the children of the world by celebrating our community.

At our February 9 meeting, we traded ideas of how we serve our community in ways that stretch beyond the realms of Kiwanis. Donna Dubey and Mike Murphy shared their experiences of volunteering at the Marco Dementia Respite. Donna inspired us with her rewarding experience of working with those who attend the respite program while Mike explained the value of the caregivers program with which he volunteers. Joel Gewirtz, who originally founded the Kiwanis Club of Marco Island, has attended the caregivers program for support and fellowship. Jill DiZio, an official volunteer with Girl Scout Troop 517, spoke about the beautiful Valentine cards that the Girl Scouts made for the Marco Dementia Respite. 

We build relationships within our community. Our February 16 meeting was full of surprises as Noontime Rotarians Jim Richards, President Kathryn Pasternak, and Al Diaz joined us to present the 2023 Spirit of Marco Island Award to our very own Arne and Jill Sandberg. The Sandberg’s are Rotarians and Kiwanians at the same time! They are so deserving of this award as they exemplify the true spirit of Marco Island. 

Marco Island Fire Chief Chris Byrne was also on hand to fill us in on the happenings of our Fire Rescue Department and advise us on safety measures especially in the case of a hurricane. 

Please join us as we celebrate our community! Our meetings are times of learning, sharing, and inspiration. Breakfast meetings are Thursdays at Stonewalls, 551 S. Collier Blvd 7:00 AM to 8:15 AM. We also enjoy one dinner meeting a month at the Cape Marco Tennis Center 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Please visit https://marcokiwanis.org or scan our QR code for our schedule.