Look to the skies

For more than 70 years, families in California spend quality time together at the Ocean Beach Kiwanis Club’s annual kite festival, the oldest kite festival in the United States. Depending on the size of the site, kite flying can easily allow for social distancing.

See the local sights

What fun sights are within walking distance in your community? The Kiwanis Club of Bastogne, in Belgium, has placed more than 100 “Kiwanis dolls” statues around town and in neighboring villages. The 16 large-format statues exhibited outdoors are 2.4 meters tall and weigh 350 kilos. The 110 smaller ones, placed inside stores, are 40 centimeters tall.

Hit the links

Another popular fundraiser idea: a golf tournament. Take a cue from the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon in Florida, which turned its golf fundraiser into a pledge-based golf-a-thon [link “golf-a-thon” to ] to allow for fewer in-person interactions.

Put the fun in running

Invite your community to participate in a virtual or in-person walk or racing event. For example, the Kiwanis Club of Dunedin in Florida hosts an annual Midnight Run in July as well as a series of Adventure Runs in January, during which participants often glimpse signs of wildlife while running along the beaches of Honeymoon Island. 

And the Germany District of Kiwanis hosts “Kiwanis bewegt” (“Kiwanis Moves”), [link “Kiwanis bewegt” to ] a virtual exercise fundraiser. Participants pledge to run, walk, skate, bike or travel in a wheelchair, and proceeds support a youth welfare organization.