Look back at some of the Kiwanis family’s biggest events and highlights this year.
By Sarah Moreland
Can you believe that 2024 is almost over? Before we pull out the party hats and noisemakers to usher in 2025, let’s look back at some of the Kiwanis family’s biggest events and highlights of the past year.
More service and support
We wouldn’t be Kiwanis without service to kids, and this year, clubs around the world continued to make communities near and far a better place. Just a few examples:
- The Kiwanis Club of Pakistan built a sustainable water source in a village in Sindh, where villagers previously traveled up to 12 miles for access to clean water.
- Members of the Kiwanis Club of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo established psychological support programs for children traumatized by violence and natural disasters.
- The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S., celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Burning of Zozobra with 65,000 people in attendance — and more than 1.5 million virtually — to raise money for several youth organizations.
- When students at McMillian Middle School in Florida, U.S., qualified to compete at the World Robotics Championships, the Kiwanis Club of Miami sponsored 20 students to attend.
- Several clubs turned milestone anniversaries into opportunities for philanthropy, including the Kiwanis Club of Roseville, which commemorated 75 years with a combined donation of US$75,000 to 15 organizations in its California, U.S., community.
Looking for more examples of amazing Kiwanis projects? Meet the winners of the 2024 Kiwanis Signature Project Contest.
Submissions for the 2025 Signature Project Contest will be accepted beginning in early January.
More collaboration
We achieve more together. That’s why Kiwanis members once again teamed up for a week with Lions Clubs International, Optimist International and Rotary International for the fourth annual Celebrate Community. Kiwanians around the world — from India and Mexico to the Philippines and the United States — participated, continuing a tradition of global service and unity.
More possibilities
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund launched The Possibility Project, the first fundraising campaign that solely supports Kiwanis and the children we serve. More than US$6 million has been raised so far — but there’s still so much work to do to ensure kids everywhere are healthy, happy and successful.
Other highlights from the Children’s Fund in 2024:
- Meet the seven outstanding Key Club and CKI leaders who received scholarships to continue their education. Students can apply now until February 1, 2025, for the next round of scholarships — including the new US$4,500 Wagner Family Scholarship for Key Club members.
- The second annual Kiwanis Day of Giving nearly doubled its initial goal, resulting in more than US$130,000 raised for the Children’s Fund! That’s enough to reach more than 57,000 children. Mark your calendars now: Kiwanis Day of Giving returns February 25.
- UNICEF announced that Mali and Guinea are the latest countries to have achieved maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) elimination. The Children’s Fund continued the Kiwanis family’s support for the fight against MNT with a US$275,000 grant to UNICEF in July.
More learning and leadership
Each year, Kiwanis members step up to lead their clubs, districts and the organization as a whole:
- At the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, delegates elected Lee Kuan Yong of the Malaysia District as 2024-25 Kiwanis International president. Michael Mulhaul of the New Jersey District was elected to serve as president-elect, and Hope Markes of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District as vice president. Dawn Puderbaugh Hodges of the Carolinas District, Jo Schwartz of the Kansas District and Scott Sims of the Alabama District were also elected trustees for the United States and Pacific Canada Region. See the full House of Delegates recap. Start planning for the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 25-28!
- This year, nearly 600 Kiwanians representing 30 countries completed Kiwanis Amplify, our robust online leadership program featuring interactive modules on topics like communications, diversity and event planning. Read about two Kiwanians’ experiences with the program — and then plan to join the next cohort in early 2025. Registration opens January 6 at kiwanis.org/amplify.
- Paul Palazzolo became the executive director of Kiwanis International after the retirement of Stan Soderstrom on January 29. Palazzolo served as the 2009-10 Kiwanis International president. He first joined the Kiwanis family in the early 1980s when he joined the Key Club of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
More student leadership development
The Kiwanis family consists of volunteers of all ages. Our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs) span elementary school through university and include a club for adults with disabilities. Here are a few SLP highlights for 2024:
Key Club International, our program for high school students, continues to grow — now exceeding 225,000 members worldwide! Key Club members continue to raise money for Start Strong: Zambia, a fundraising campaign with UNICEF to support early childhood education in the southeastern African nation. As of November, members have raised almost US$200,000 for the campaign. At the 2024 Key Club International Convention, attendees developed their skills at leadership workshops and weaved mats out of recycled plastic bags for the host city’s unhoused population. During the convention, delegates elected David Robaina of the Southwest District as 2024-25 Key Club International president.
Get ready to celebrate! Key Club turns 100 on March 25. Find out how you can get involved.
Circle K International, our program for university students, held its 2024 convention in Denver in tandem with the Kiwanis International convention. Delegates elected Taylor DiCicco of the Alabama District to serve as 2024-25 Circle K International president. Attendees participated in workshops about CKI projects and initiatives, including Brick x Brick, in partnership with UNICEF USA. CKI has, to date, raised more than US$130,000 for Brick x Brick, which supports sustainability, education and empowerment for families in the African nation of Côte d’Ivoire by building classrooms with recycled materials. CKI has raised enough money to build two classrooms!
CKI will again join Kiwanis in Pittsburgh in June 2025 for its concurrent convention.