Clam Boil Fundraiser Keep Kiwanis Club Members Busy

Seekonk’s 30-member Kiwanis Club is keeping busy with multiple initiatives to help children, both near and far. An upcoming fundraiser, an international project, back-to-school assistance and a meeting to install new members are all on the roster for the next two months.

First up is an effort to assist children in helping other children. This month the Kiwanis-sponsored Builder’s Club at the Hurley Middle School will be providing backpacks filled with supplies to school children in need. The Kiwanis Club purchased the backpacks and the Builder’s Club members are filling them with pencils, pens, rulers and other necessary educational tools. The backpacks will help low-incoming students start the school year on the right foot.

Since everyone loves a New England meal, the club is holding a clam boil on Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Seekonk Rod and Gun Club. The menu includes clams, sausage, linguica, hot dogs, potatos, onions and ice cream. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased by emailing Lynn at Laneves7@comcast.net. Proceeds from the event will go to assist several initiatives throughout the year.

Shortly after that will be an event to install new officers and initiate 6 new members. Mary Ulak of the Seekonk Fire Department will be taking over as President, Carol Ulak as Vice President, Kim Jennings as Secretary and Karen Perkins as Treasurer at a dinner at the Johnson & Wales Inn on October 21st. Tickets are $30.

Because Kiwanis is a large network of clubs – they have a presence in 92 countries – local groups participate in both regional and international causes. Last week Kiwanis began work alongside UNICEF on The Eliminate Project to help eradicate neo-natal tetanus, which is largely caused by poor conditions in birthing rooms. The group says 120 million pregnant women could use tetanus shots to stop spread of the disease.

Collectively, the clubs aim to raise $110 million over the next 3 years for the project. According to Board Member Bev Hart, the Seekonk Kiwanis club will designate some money from each fundraiser they hold to the cause and may at some point do a specific fundraiser for just The Eliminate Project.

In addition to these events and initiatives, the club is also helping contribute program funds to three high school students, and supporting the Kiwanis-sponsored High School Key Club. They also recently sponsored a few low-income middle-school children in a YMCA junior counselor program.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.  The Kiwanis Club of Greater Seekonk is open to all. Meetings are the first and third Wednesdays of the month. For more information contact Edith Krekorian, 508-336-8130 or Beverly Hart, 508-336-5392.

"You don’t have to be member of anything in town, you can just be an indiviual who wants to help," said Hart.