Novelist Elizabeth Berg once commented that “there is incredible value in being of service to others.”
The Kiwanis Club of East York has been actively serving others since 1943 and this September will be celebrating their 75th anniversary with an evening to reflect on the numerous contributions to their community, pay tribute to those who have had a huge impact on innumerable lives, and look towards a future of further volunteerism.
The club’s membership has been made up over the years of former mayors, MPPs, and many, many local residents.
John Masterson, who has been with the East York Kiwanis Club for the past decade, says that it has been “rewarding to be able to help organize events that benefit our community service projects.”
The club’s annual contributions to its community include scholarship programs at local schools, visiting and arranging events at the True Davidson Acres Home for the Aged, the Kiwanis Music Festival, assistance with several local youth sports teams, service clubs at several high schools, and work at the Broadview Village Salvation Army.
Over the years the club has supported the Go Green Cricket Field Project on Overlea Blvd. and the Walter Stewart Library. The club has also helped to plant more than 40,000 trees in the Don Valley, funded breakfast programs, paid for the Kiwanis Swimming Pool at Stan Wadlow Park, and donated more than $250,000 for the Michael Garron Hospital (formerly East York General).
The club meets once a month and is always looking for new members to help with its valuable and selfless work.
If you are interested in joining this group of community heroes or attending their 75th anniversary dinner on September 21st, contact or visit the club’s website for membership details.
