Kiwanis upholds 30-year tradition
For the 30th straight year, the City of Wooster Kiwanis Club turned out to support 4-H and the young people who prepare their projects for the Wayne County Fair.
For the 30th straight year, the City of Wooster Kiwanis Club turned out to support 4-H and the young people who prepare their projects for the Wayne County Fair. The club annually purchases one of the hogs offered for sale at the 4-H auction.
Tom Stocksdale of the Wooster Kiwanis Club said bidders generally have no bidding plan in place going into the auction. “Sometimes we sort of look at which of the kids’ hogs might be lagging in the bids and pick those up. We really never know what we’re going to end up doing in the bidding,” he said.
This year the club bought the hog raised and shown by Joshua Davis of the Smithie Whiz Kids 4-H club. The final hammer price for the 257-pound hog was $2.50 per pound, netting Davis $642.50 for his months of work in raising his project animal. The auction was held Sept. 13.
“The Kiwanis Club is very active around the time of the Wayne County Fair,” said Stocksdale, who also is active with the Wayne County fair board. “We clean the grandstands after the shows as well. It’s a lot of work, but I know it really helps the fair board, and the stands are clean and ready for the next day.”
Stocksdale said the Wooster Kiwanis Club numbers about 185 members, though some are not able to be fully active in the organization.
“Our primary focus in all we do in the Kiwanis Club is the youth of the area,” Stocksdale explained. “Supporting the 4H club kids is just one way we do that. In the 4H program the kids learn the whole process: record keeping, competing successfully, raising a healthy animal and winning or losing gracefully. We get letters from the kids thanking us, but I know we’re just glad to be able to do what we can for them.”
The Wooster Kiwanis Club serves the greater Wooster area. The club has an annual book sale at the Wayne County Fairgrounds that is held this month. They also hold a pancake day and host the strawberry festival in June each year. All are fundraisers that generate funds for youth projects in the area.
“All the money we are able to raise goes to help young people in the area in some way,” Stocksdale said. “We hold the Safety Town program for kids who are entering kindergarten each year, among many other projects. It’s a way for us to give back to the community and its young people.”
The City of Wooster Kiwanis Club website is at www.woosterkiwanis.org. Meeting and event schedules are available as well as information on becoming a member.