The award will help a Kiwanis club in Michigan, U.S., bring play to kids of all abilities.

By Tony Knoderer

The Kiwanis Club of Lapeer, Michigan, U.S., has won the 2026 Legacy of Play Contest, sponsored by Kiwanis International and Landscape Structures Inc. As a result, the club will receive US$25,000 in inclusive playground equipment — and local children of all abilities will soon have an all-inclusive playground.

“We’re ecstatic!” club member Kara Lambourn says. “We were very pleasantly surprised, but we’ve been rooting for this — along with people in our community. This will be transformational for our project.” 

The playground will be located in Rowden Park in Lapeer. (See the illustration above.) When it’s completed, it will fulfill an important need in the area: a space where everyone can play, learn and grow together. 

Working toward such an important goal, the Lapeer club started the project by engaging people in the community — from potential partners and donors to the families who were intended as the beneficiaries of the playground.

“We started researching five or six years ago,” Lambourn says. “We held community focus groups and kind of determined what the community’s needs and wants were.” 

In addition, the club has worked closely with the City of Lapeer to ensure that the playground’s design, location and long‑term vision align with the city’s goals. The result is a design for kids of all physical and developmental abilities — including those with sensory needs, autism spectrum disorders, cognitive disabilities and other developmental challenges.

With the $25,000 award, the club is much closer to its dream of creating an inclusive play space for all kids and families.

For Paul Palazzolo, executive director of Kiwanis International, the project is a perfect example of what Kiwanis clubs can do when they have a vision of what their communities need — and then work with partners in the community to make it happen.

“Making kids’ lives better is the heart of what Kiwanis clubs do,” Palazzolo says. “When members make sure that all kids in their communities are included in new opportunities, that’s a special outcome.” 

The 2026 contest marked the 10th year of the Legacy of Play Contest — and for Karlye Emerson, president and CEO of Landscape Structures Inc., the Lapeer club’s winning project is what the contest is all about. 

“The Kiwanis Club of Lapeer is creating a space where every child feels welcome and included,” Emerson says. “We’re proud to support their vision alongside Penchura, our local playground consultant, and help bring life-changing play to the Lapeer community.”  

Let Earth Day and these Kiwanis family projects inspire your club.

By Julie Saetre and Erin Chandler

With Earth Day coming on April 22, it’s a great time for your club to discuss service projects that celebrate and support our environment at any time of year. A recent blog post shared Kiwanis service projects that help make the world a better and more sustainable place for everyone. Here are a few more projects that show what it means to be green! 

Green steps across Europe
This year, the Kiwanis Europe Region has launched Green Steps for a Bright Future. Across Europe, Kiwanis clubs are developing and supporting local projects that educate children about environmental responsibility; promote sustainable actions through hands-on activities; engage families, schools and communities in eco-friendly initiatives; and inspire young leaders to build a greener future. Clubs are undertaking projects such as planting trees, preserving pollinators, organizing eco-workshops, cleaning local parks and more. (JS) 

Green studies in Michigan
At Haslett High School in Michigan, U.S., an overgrown courtyard got a new lease on life as an outdoor classroom — thanks to the school’s Key Club and a Youth Opportunities Fund grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. Working with Haslett High School’s Sustainability Club and National Honors Society, the Key Club members leveled the area, filled in a pond and cultivated a native plant and pollinator garden. (Haslett Middle School’s Builders Club and Conservation Club also helped.) The club members even installed seating so teachers and students can use the courtyard to hold classes, study and socialize. Grant funds helped purchase grass seed, mulch, picnic table kits and plants. (EC) 

Green warriors in the Philippines
The Kiwanis Club of Stunning Davao, Philippines, partners with the Department of Education to host its Nature Warriors program. Club members connect with schools in isolated areas that are in critical need of environmental protection. The visiting Kiwanians distribute bags containing school supplies, dental kits and books on nature to the students; install waste segregation stations; and teach kids how to protect the environment by properly disposing of garbage. The program also includes regular coastal cleanups. Each child who benefits from the Nature Warriors program brings home what they have learned — spreading the word about responsible environmental stewardship throughout the community. (EC)

Green sustainably in Jamaica
Kiwanians and Key Club members in Jamaica came together in March to install native plant and tree species at the 100-acre Rand Nature Centre in Freeport, Bahamas. Joanne Nolles, lieutenant governor of the Sunshine Division in the Eastern Canada and the Caribbean District, told a local television station that the group’s goal was to promote environmental sustainability. “We love Mother Nature, and we know without her, we don’t survive,” she said. Braniah Hall, president of the Jack Haywood Senior High School Key Club, said their student leaders are passionate about protecting the environment: “I feel like it’s important to give back when you can. And seeing some of my younger Key Club members coming out in support is really inspiring.” (JS)