The Kiwanis Club of Prince Albert is coming to an end, but an agreement with the city’s Community Foundation is continuing their youth support.
Members of both organizations came together at City Hall on Wednesday morning for a cheque presentation.
The Kiwanis Club presented the Community Foundation with $20,000, the bulk of their remaining funds. Kiwanis Club of Prince Albert Treasurer Garth Beddome said they’ll contribute about $8,000 more once they’ve paid a few leftover fees.
“I’m hoping that the roles that Kiwanis played in the community can continue to be supported by volunteers and that all of those things will continue to happen,” he said.
Beddome has been the treasurer for the past few years, but has been involved with Kiwanis for about 10 years.
“It is a bit bittersweet for me, maybe not as much as it is for some of our longer term members.”
One of those longterm members is 87-year-old Frank Moore, who joined in 1959 with a sponsorship from a local businessman. He humbly listened to other members praise him for the work he’s done in Kiwanis.
“I can recall a time where we were over 100 members, but now I think we’re down to eight members, so it’s difficult to take on projects,” explained Moore.
He mentioned a few standout memories.
One, of course, is the Kiwanis Music Festival, which the Community Foundation has agreed to support as long as it exists. A second memory is contributing to a worldwide Kiwanis project to reduce disease in African children.
Moore has even represented the Kiwanis Club of Prince Albert internationally in California.
Kiwanis has donated money to several initiatives that keep youth active and engaged. These include arenas, skateparks, high school science fairs and scholarships. In the past few years, as Beddome explained, they’ve mostly been supporting the Ranch Ehrlo Society.
The Kiwanis Club of Prince Albert has existed for just shy of a century.
The Prince Albert and Area Community Foundation, on the other hand, just celebrated its 20-year anniversary.
President Jim McKnight said they distribute about $100,000 to community projects every year.
“The money will stay in the community and it will (be put to) work and that’s what the Community Foundation is all about, is putting people’s money to work but allowing them to do something that they want to, that’s close to their heart and they can make that investment. It will continue to grow as the Kiwanis has done.”
“A lot of people aren’t even aware that Prince Albert has a Community Foundation,” said Treasurer Bryan Rindal.
You can give to the organization in memory of a loved one or in a family name, as life insurance by naming it as a beneficiary, as a bequest in a will, through a lump sum of money or a multi-year pledge.
This money is invested into the community’s youth, arts and culture, education, health and research.
