Kiwanians bestow ‘boredom busters’

The Kiwanis family in Crofton, Maryland, played Santa Claus this past holiday season, delivering bags of “boredom busters” to recovering soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center and performing other acts of kindness.

Dennis Robin of the Crofton Kiwanis club says his wife, Nancy, received an e-mail at work about a program to provide patients at the military hospital much-needed clothing and items to liven up their hospital stays. He suggested the program at his Kiwanis club’s next meeting, because members had been looking for ways to spend money raised in a charity auction.

“The club immediately agreed to give us US$1,500 to purchase items and, with the generous help of our local merchants, we parlayed it to a retail value of more than $2,500,” Dennis says. Prior to a subsequent meeting, several Kiwanians gathered together to process boxes upon boxes of clothing, games, gloves, hats, and DVDs. They also filled some 25 Christmas stockings with candy, phone cards, batteries, playing cards, and other goodies.

The club also provided gifts and food to three families it “adopted” this past holiday season.

The club’s holiday generosity sets an example followed by its Crofton Kiwanis-family members:

•  The Archbishop Spalding High School Key Club filled suitcases with personal items for foster children.

•  The Key Club at Arundel High School provided food and gifts to three families.

•  Members of the Crofton Woods Elementary School K-Kids club conducted a schoolwide mitten tree and food drive, filling 15 boxes with mittens and gloves for children from families in need.