(L-R) The Rotary, Lions, Kinsmen, Kiwanis, and Optimist Service Clubs coming together for the proclamation of Red Deer Service Week at City Hall on Wednesday. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Red Deer Service Clubs Week declared

Red Deer service clubs join forces in new project for local charities

Sep 8, 2022 | 11:26 AM

Five service organizations came together on Wednesday to declare “Red Deer Service Clubs Week”, a new annual initiative dedicated to helping local charities.

Mayor Ken Johnston made the proclamation at City Hall Park for the week falling from September 11-17.

“Please take this opportunity to support your local service clubs as they work to provide meaningful contributions to our community,” he said.

For the first time in recent history, presidents from nine local service clubs representing the five service organizations of Rotary (with Rotary East and Sunrise), Kiwanis, Optimist (including Piper Creek), Lions and Kinsmen (with Kinette) Clubs, announced five joint projects over five days for five Red Deer charities: The Mustard Seed, The Golden Circle, Youth HQ, the Red Deer Food Bank, and The Outreach Centre.

The Clubs’ contributions will result in each charity receiving $2,500. As well, between one to three members from each organization will volunteer roughly four hours of their time to deliver the charities’ selected projects together.

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“Today is a great day for our community. With nine different service clubs joining together to support five charitable organizations, Red Deer truly wins,” said Gavin Heintz, President of the Piper Creek Optimist Club, alongside Glenn Turple, one of the founders of the Optimist Clubs in Red Deer over 60 years ago.

Rotary Club of Red Deer President Darcy Mykytyshyn explained how the four international service organizations met in early December to find a way to harness their collective power of 3.4 million members around the world and celebrate community together. Three weeks ago, he says they invited the Kinsmen and Kinettes to brainstorm how they could do this in Red Deer, coming up with the current project in 90 minutes.

September 12 will be dedicated to The Mustard Seed, where funds will be used for their School Lunch Program, helping to make 1,000 lunches for 500 kids in 46 schools, according to Byron Bradley, Managing Director of the charity in central Alberta.

September 13 will be for the Red Deer Food Bank, with the donation being used to purchase a months-worth of milk for children and towards food packages, states Executive Director Mitch Thompson. He says Club members will help build food packages to feed 500 people.

September 14 will be assigned to help The Golden Circle where Club members will help serve hot lunches to seniors and clean dishes, says Executive Director Amber Mack. She also says the funds will go towards improving their outdated audio-visual technology so they can lease their space for events.

On September 15,  members will be helping at the outdoor Camp Alexo with Youth HQ, according to Community Engagement Manager, John Johnston.

“We really have a fundamental belief that the foundation for every child growing up is healthy relationships and quality experiences,” he said. “We need to get back to normal and keep kids connected.”

The funds, he says, will go towards membership efforts for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, currently having 77 kids on the waitlist.

Lastly, September 16 will be devoted to The Outreach Centre where funds will be applied to the Tools for School program providing supplies to children, confirms Executive Director Ian Wheeliker. Club members will be putting together backpacks for students as well as helping to organize the Shoestring Warehouse, a program donating used household items to individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

“Our motto is ‘hope for all’ but today, hope for all is moving to action and it’s because of the collaborative effort of the service groups and the generosity of this community,” he said.

“What little good we have in all of us, when it comes together, makes a big difference in the lives of others. So those that are not a member of a service club yet: be a part. Join the club. Be part of the journey,” said Vimal Pillay, President of the Lions Club.