Kiwanis toasts 60 years

Moses Lake, Ephrata clubs celebrate

GRANT COUNTY — Between the two of them, the Moses Lake and Ephrata Kiwanis clubs share 120 years.

Both organizations celebrated 60th anniversaries over the weekend, with a playground dedication ceremony at Patrick Park in Ephrata Saturday morning, and a ceremony later in the day at Cascade Park in Moses Lake.

At that ceremony, Kiwanis members gathered to dine on food prepared by the Dutch Oven Society, listen to music by the Moses Lake Jazz Ensemble and install new members for four clubs.

"It's from Moses Lake, Ephrata, but we've also invited officers from Warden and Quincy to join us too," Moses Lake Kiwanis President Ken Sterner explained.

"It's an accomplishment that our club has lasted that long, " said Ephrata Kiwanis President Tom Vinup, pointing to a long history in the Ephrata community. "It's just a great achievement for a club to be together for 60 years, and looking back at all the members that we've had, some of them have been members for the last 25 to 30 years and still active."

"Moses Lake Kiwanis has not only been active, it's become even more active," Sterner continued. "It hasn't gotten old and tired. It just keeps getting reborn, and it keeps going again, again and again. We're fun. We have a good time and we do a great job for the community. And I think the community responds to us."

Sterner anticipated 50 to 60 people in attendance at the event, including members from some of the Kiwanis sponsor clubs.

"Kiwanis itself is 90 years old, and it's just nice to see some clubs that were formed years ago that are still around," said Steve Emhoff, 2005-2006 governor for the Pacific Northwest district of Kiwanis.

Vinup said Kiwanis cares about young people, teaching them community involvement and how to be future leaders.

Sterner said the organization's efforts primarily centers upon children, providing scholarships for high school students, calendars for new mothers and working with food banks and charity functions.

Emhoff noted the organization is also emphasizing sponsorship for children into burn camps, a project close to his heart because his son received burns on 40 percent of his body in the 2001 30-Mile Fire. More than $150,000 has been raised by the organization since October, and more than 2,000 quilts were made to raise funds for the burn camp children.

In the next 60 years, Vinup hopes to see his club growing, and more of the younger part of the community getting involved. He would like to begin support for a key club in Soap Lake, in addition to its involvement with the key club at Ephrata High School and more involvement in Ephrata Middle School.

Sterner called for more sophistication in the programs the club offers in the future, and expected more activity with the schools and more partnership with other organizations.

"Individually, we do well. Together, we do great," he said. "I think that's what a lot of it is. It's a matter of expanding. I think we can do just a lot more."