Spring is the time of year for double headers, and the Perry Kiwanis Club hosted one at their regular weekly luncheon meeting held at the Hotel Pattee.
The first speaker was Nebraska-Iowa District Kiwanis Club President Jim Dane. Dane hails from Iowa City, and he discussed some of the projects important to his current role with Kiwanis. He was impressed at how young the club his compared with other clubs.
His motto for this year is: “It’s Great to be a Kiwanian.” Dane had a special pin made that he passes out to people across the district. Perry Kiwanis President Tricia Steffen was presented with one.
Dane stressed the Kiwanis motto: “Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.”
He discussed many ideas that could benefit local youth and other community members, using examples from other clubs, such as sending backpacks with food in them home with children who do have enough to eat at home, community gardens to be used to grow food for children, red barrel food drives in which red barrels are placed in community grocery stores and the goods given to organizations in the community to help the needy.
Dane also discussed a program in Iowa City with the Kiwanis Key Club in which large plastic pop bottles are placed in schools, and students put in small change to vote on a favorite teacher. This money is used for various projects by the Key Club.
Dane said a current International Kiwanis effort, Project Eliminate, is a program with the goal of eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus in the world. According to the Kiwanis International website, tetanus kills 34,000 babies in the world each year and countless women. This program is operated in 18 countries.
The International Kiwanis operates this program in conjunction with UNICEF. Since 2010 Kiwanis has raised $110 million. Kiwanis’ will end this program in 2020 and move to another project.
In the past, the Kiwanis Club in conjunction with UNICEF operated a successful program which added iodine in salt. The lack of iodine in the diet can cause many physical and mental problems in children. The program produced plants throughout the world that add iodine to salt.
Following Dane was Perry Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bob Wilson. Wilson discussed several programs in the Perry community that are currently doing the things that Dan discussed.
Wilson began with the Chamber’s annual dinner. The 2017 Business of the Year was Wiese Industries, which was started in 1899 as a blacksmith shop.
The Jack Finneseth Memorial Spirit of Perry award went to the volunteers for the Community Christmas Dinner, which has been a successful service event in the community and has involved many people.
Winners of the Young Professionals Award were Kyle and Mindy Baxter of Accujet.
The dinner also provided the start of the pie auction fundraiser for fireworks for the community Fourth of July celebration.
Wilson talked in some detail about the community fireworks drive. So far $13,000 has been raised of the target goal of $15,000. Last year, just under $13,000 was raised, Wilson said. In order to get a discount, the community must order its fireworks May 15.
On the second Friday of each month are community Chamber Coffees. The next one will be May 12 at the Hamlin-Bell apartments from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Some 30 to 40 people attended the most recent one at the Perry Public Library.
Friday, June 16 will see the first of the season’s Friday Fests, held at Pattee Park and featuring vendors and a Perry band favorite, Rukkus.
Perry will have their annual Fourth of July parade, with events at Patte Park.
The Aug. 4 car show will again be held downtown. Last year there were 70 cars.
May 6 will see the first Fiber Arts Fair, sponsored by Art on the Prairie. Volunteers will be needed to place knitted items over community lampposts, benches and other outdoor objects. Wilson said interested volunteers should contact Jenny Eklund for this opportunity.
Wilson aso spoke about the connector trail between Perry and Woodward. He said the trail is currently on stand still because so many of the volunteers went south for the winter. There are plans for this trail, which goes through Bouton. Wilson said Bouton might not know what hits them when this trail is completed and a great number of bikers come through.
