Run for the children on Saturday, August 6, in the 4th Annual Kiwanis 4 Kids 5K. Organized by the Mount Juliet Kiwanis Club, the race helps the local club fulfill Kiwanis International’s mission of improving the lives of children around the world, one community at a time.
The race will take place at Charlie Daniels Park beginning at 7:00 a.m. The club is still taking sign-ups for the race as well as sponsorships. The cost to enter is $35 per person.
A flag subscription can be added to a run registration for an additional $20. The flag subscription is for Mount Juliet residents only. For what is normally a $50 charge per year, the Club will put a flag in your yard for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day through 9/11 and Veteran’s Day. To learn more about their flag program, visit their website at www.flagsacrossmtjuliet.org.
Contact the Mount Juliet Kiwanis Club to learn about sponsorship levels at [email protected] . Two Rivers Ford is their title sponsor.
Participant packet pick up will start at 6:00 a.m. on race day. All registrants before race day will receive a free event tee shirt. Those registering the day of the race may not receive the free tee shirt as supplies are limited.
The club will be posting photos from the event, and they request that anyone watching or participating be sure to tag photos to #K4KidsMJ.
Kiwanis International has more than 550,000 members of many ages in 80 countries. This organization can be found in schools through K-Kids and Key Clubs to the adult volunteer organization like the Mount Juliet Kiwanis Club.
Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis International empowers each of its clubs to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children in its community, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy and offering guidance. Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year.
The Mount Juliet Kiwanis Club supports a number of local programs through donations to local organizations helping children, School of the Month, Fill the Bus for Wilson County Schools Family Resources, and they have a small lending library in what looks like an old English phone booth in the park.
Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 by a group of businessmen in Detroit, Michigan. The organization was originally called the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order of Brothers but changed its name to Kiwanis a year later.
The name “Kiwanis” was coined from an expression in an American Indian language of the Detroit area, “Nunc Kee-wanis,” which means, “we trade.” In 1920, the motto of Kiwanis became “We Build.” It remained the motto until 2005, when members voted to change it to “serving the children of the world.” In the early years, members focused on business networking but in 1919, the organization changed its focus to service—specifically service to children.
Kiwanis became an international organization with the founding of the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1916.
All people are welcome to participate in the Kiwanis movement of improving communities for children. In 1987, women were invited to join. In 2008, delegates approved a resolution that called for Kiwanis clubs to celebrate and foster inclusiveness.
