Worland Kiwanis honored as Christmas parade grand marshal

WORLAND — The Worland Kiwanis Club, which has been serving the community for 70 years, was selected as the grand marshal for last Saturday’s Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce Parade of Lights.

According to member Jim Gilman, the club started on Jan. 30, 1952. The Worland chapter is just one of many that are part of the global community of Kiwanis International. According to the Kiwanis International website, Kiwanis is “dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. Today, we stand with more than 550,000 members from K-Kids to Key Club to Kiwanis and many ages in between in 80 countries and geographic areas. Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy and offering guidance.”

Former club president Steve Radabaugh said, “I am really happy we were asked to do this. I think it’s great to recognize organizations who have been in the community, and have been helping the community for so many years.”

He said that the chapter in Worland focuses on projects targeted for young children. The club raises funds through annual dues, quarterly blood draws for Wyoming Health Fairs and last Saturday’s Breakfast with Santa.

Gilman said the club used to sell birthday calendars, going to door-to-door to sell the calendars and collect birthdates. They stopped that and began sponsoring the Worland Health Fair.

With poor attendance and the fact that health fair blood draw results were available electronically, the club has focused on the quarterly blood draws for Wyoming Health Fairs.

“The money goes back into the community,” Radabaugh said. “Our is focus on young children, so when we do put money back into the community we really like to give to projects that benefit young children, like the playground equipment at Kiwanis Park that we helped the city pay for. It has a lot of young children equipment.”

They also play softball with boys from the Wyoming Boys’ School in the fall and bowl with them in the spring.

“It’s a positive impact on those boys that are there. They are so grateful to get out and do something fun. It gives them some good adult interaction with us,” Radabaugh said.

Most recently they distributed their annual “I Like Me” books to Worland first graders.

Radabaugh said they also do highway cleanup and support youth organizations including in the past Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wyoming and Joey’s Fly Fishing. They continue to support the Elks Diaper Bank.

Current officers are President Carl Cottrell, Vice President Marian Bender, Treasurer Dorothy Richard and Secretary Mindy Carlisle.

Radabaugh served as president until his term ended with Cottrell starting in October.

Radabaugh said Kiwanis is open to anyone. They meet every other Tuesday at noon at the Worland Community Center.