The Joliet Salvation Army hosted a ribbon cutting and public celebration of their new neighborhood playground! Envoy Scott stated, “With profound gratitude we acknowlede our generous partners the City of Joliet, Joliet Kiwanis Club & Vince McGirr, Greater Joliet Area YMCA, Upland Design LLC, M&M Bank, and Mr. Ralph and the late Mrs. Sophronia Bias. This playground is a great blessing to our neighborhood and is truly a cause for celebration!”

At a recent club meeting, Envoy Scott Hurula of the Joliet Salvation Army presented Club President, John Davis with a certificate for the club. He expressed his gratitued to the club on behalf of the thousands who will benefit from our efforts during the 2022 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. He went on to state:

“On Saturday, December 17th many Kiwanians braved the most frigid conditions to ring the bell at two doors of the Joliet Walmart for the whole  day. The total raised was $2,315.20! Kiwanians Roman Okrei and Julie McDermid  partnered to ring the bell at multiple locations and times throughout the campaign and together raised $1,810.53! In addition, Kiwanian Aleta Finney Pavnica organized bellringing at the Rialto Theater on multiple occasions during the campaign and raised a total of $2,303.61. The grand total for the Kiwanis Club of Joliet amounts to $6,429.34!

This ranks the Kiwanis Club of Joliet as the Number 1 Service Club partner for 2022 by raising more than 7% of the entire campaign total!”

Thanks to all of the members who supported the campaign and special thanks to Roman, Julie and Aleta!

Club members volunteer to read at local Early Childhood and Day Care Centers throughout the community. After reading, they also distribute books to the participants. Thanks to our members who volunteer and to the facilities that allow us time to promote reading.

The Joliet Club’s “Grand Poobah of the Peanut” made a special appearance to provided important information about our annual #KiwanisPeanutDays – he even dazzled us with some magic tricks with his volunteer assistant Sherry Rudman. Contact any Kiwanian to find out how you can purchase bags of Terri-Lynn peanuts and Albanese Confectionery gummies! Limited number of sponsorships are also available.  Contact our Peanut Chairperson, David Gardner at (708) 921-3344. Thank you for your support!

n his more than 30 years of coaching the Troy 30-C Cross Country Team, John Davis has trained 90 All-State runners, and his teams have been in the top four in the state 25 times, with an overall IESA state title in 2007. He’s worked with 25 coaches and around 4,000 athletes and was honored at a recent Troy Community School District 30-C school board meeting with a service award.

School Board President Mark Griglione said Davis has put Troy on the map for cross country.

“If anyone goes out into this hallway and sees the number of trophies the Cross Country Team has earned for Troy,” Griglione said at the meeting, “it’s unbelievable. It is a great program and has been for years. Thank you so much for putting us on the map for Troy. It’s one of the great cross country programs in the state.”

Submitted by: Troy Community School District 30-C

John serves as the Kiwanis Club of Joliet’s President Elect. Congratulations John and thank you for all you do for our community!

#KidsNeedKiwanis #KiwanisNeedsYou

Thanks to all of the Kiwanis members who helped with this year’s Bell Ringing for Salvation Army Joliet.  Kiwanis members have long supported the Salvation Army’s Bell Ringing efforts.

As President-Elect John Davis stated “In this time of need it is important to support local charities. I am happy to help the Kiwanis Club support Salvation Army – an organization that does so much for our local community.” 

Thanks to M&M Bank and Trombone player Envoy Scott Hurula.

Pictured are members Sherry Rudman, Aleta Finney Pavnica, John Davis and Envoy Scott Hurula.

The Jacob Henry Mansion was all abuzz on December 13 when the Aktion Club of Joliet joined Kiwanis for our annual Holiday Party! Thanks to everyone who was able to join in the fun!!