| The Kiwanis Club de Amigos club was original sponsored by the Rincon Kiwanis Club, and was first Chartered by Kiwanis International in November of 1980. There were 22 original "Charter Members", many of which are still active participants with the club today. Those members were initially drawn from the business community in the Broadway/Wilmot area. Today, our membership comes from many areas of the city, and includes individuals with a variety of business and professional backgrounds. Our membership is also dramatically younger than most other Kiwanis and service organization clubs, with an average age in the mid-40s.
The primary purpose of Kiwanis International is to provide community support through raising funds for worthy organizations and participating in "hands-on" community service projects. Kiwanis de Amigos has been one of the most active and productive clubs in the city in those areas. Since the first year of our existence, we have staffed a refreshment booth at the bi-annual Fourth Avenue Street Fair; this project has generated more than $300,000 that has been distributed directly into community programs. Over the years, that source of revenue has helped support Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tucson, the Desert Survivors, the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus, United Cerebral Palsy, and many other projects.
Since 1985, our club has sponsored an annual "Kiwanis for Kids" charity golf tournament. In past years, we have generated substantial revenues for charities: such as $23,000 of net proceeds for the Arizona Children's Home, as well as contributing revenues from this event to the Brewster Center, the Comstock Foundation, and others. Additionally, for many years, we have held an annual Gaslight Theatre Night fund rasing for the benefit of the Lighthouse YMCA, raising $2,000+ from each event.
In 1995, we staged our first annual "Cowchip Bingo" fund raiser in cooperation with the Pima County 4-H Clubs, and raised more than $10,000 from our first event! We are constantly considering new fund raising event opportunities.
Our community service projects have included construction of playground equipment for the Arizona Children's Home; building maintenance for the Triangle Y Camp; assisting the Primavera Foundation in feeding the homeless in our city; and painting a day care Center, inside and out, on the Tohono O'Odham reservation.
Our social functions are an important part of the Club's activities. Each Fall, we hold our annual "Charter Night" banquet, including a weekend getaway at a nearby resort, a round of golf (for those so inclined), and a dinner banquet where we review our year's activities and (in general) have a wonderful time. Throughout the year, several other parties, e.g., Halloween and the Super Bowl, offer our members, spouses, and guests an opportunity to enjoy themselves together and build greater camaraderie.
The Kiwanis de Amigos meets each Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. at Coco's Restaurant, 2990 N Campbell, Tucson. Weekly meetings are limited to one hour duration. The first half hour, we discuss upcoming projects and other club business. The last half hour of each meeting is usually reserved for a speaker or program of general interest. Topics range from governmental issues to business ideas, or community service projects. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity for members or visitors to learn about and stay in touch with what is happening in Tucson.
More than anything else, Kiwanis de Amigos is a "Club" of like-minded adults who: 1) have a great time together; 2) enjoy offering services to our community; and 3) have a great time together. |
