We are sad to report that after 97 years of existence, the Morris chapter of Kiwanis has voted to disband. This decision was extremely difficult. Like all service organizations, we have struggled for years with shrinking membership. People have more and more demands on their time today.
The pandemic, which has kept us from meeting and doing many of the community activities for which we are known, only made it more immediately clear that our chapter could not continue.
Working with, and serving, the community has been a huge pleasure, honor and joy. We are particularly proud of our work with Eleanor Killoran to make the Music Arts Center in Eastside Park a reality, and then to sponsor arts activities there over the years. And we know the cotton candy, sno cones and popcorn we sold in from the Kiwanis Trailer will be remembered by many. (We enjoyed the grins of the kids, big and small, at least as much as they enjoyed their cotton candy!)
We have sold the Kiwanis Trailer to the Old #1 Bar and Grill. They have indicated they intend to continue to use it for the benefit of the community, and we know they will.
We want to thank the community for all the support over the years, which enabled us to support such projects as the Music Arts Center, the talent show, the spray park at Pomme de Terre Park, the playground equipment at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (ROC), and many others. We have paid for tree-planting in East Side Park.
We will expend our remaining funds to build a children’s garden project at the ROC. That project will be great; please check it out sometime!
We hope you cherish the memories of Morris Kiwanis as much as we do.
Gordon McIntosh
2019-2020 President for the Morris Kiwanis Chapter
