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Club History
HISTORY OF
KIWANIS CLUB OF CASA GRANDE
August 2, 1949 -
Organizational Meeting for Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande
An August 4, 1949 article said
91 people attended the organizational dinner meeting. The Kiwanis Club of
Casa Grande started with 34 members and a project. The membership was made
up of men from the Casa Grande area. The elected officers at the meeting
were; President, Guy Acuff; Vice President, Pat Duhamell and
Secretary/Treasurer Charles Filly. Board members were Don Bernard,
J.B.Collerette, Marvin Palmer, Loren Curtis, Frank Dowling, Vincent
"Bill" Bianco and John Neary.
The club started out holding
their weekly meetings at Rebecca Hall in the evening. In 1953 they moved
their evening at Snow's Inn. Next the Kiwanis club had lunch meetings at
Chatterbox. Then they moved their evening meeting to the Presbyterian
Church. In 1953 the club moved to a lunch meeting at the northeast corner
of Cottonwood Lane and Casa Grande Avenue. Kiwanis then went to a lunch
meeting at Bedillions for a short time and then moved the lunch meeting to
The Property. Denney's was the next meeting place for breakfast and then
later moved back to The Property for breakfast. In 2003 they moved their
Thursday breakfast meeting to the Holiday Inn where they still are today in
2010.
One of the group's first civic
program was to build a $20,000 baseball park on unimproved Casa Grande
Union High School property. The ball park opened the week of March 21, 1950
with games between the state semi-pro champion Casa Grande Apcos, the
Albuquerque Dukes of the West Lcian New Mexico League and the University of
Arizona Wildcats.
In 1956 the Casa Grande Union
High School renamed the field "Kiwanis Field". It was the home of
Casa Grande Union High School baseball team and the Cotton Kings who held
the Arizona semi-pro championship for several years according to the Casa
Grande Dispatch article dated November 29, 1956. The field was named to
honor the Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande which not only sparked the
conservation of unimproved school property into one of the finest baseball
fields in southern Arizona but financed the construction of the park
complete with fences, turf and bleachers at no cost to the school system.
September 28, 1949 - Casa Grande
Kiwanis Club Charter Night
The Kiwanis Club of Casa
Grande was presented their International Kiwanis Charter at the meeting
held at the Westward Ho Hotel in Phoenix. Ceremonies were held in Phoenix
because of a lack of meeting places in Casa Grande. Over 250 Kiwanis and
their wives attended with representatives from eight Arizona Clubs present.
Guy Acuff, President of Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande accepted the new
charter on behalf of the new club.
1956 through 1980
Kiwanis and Lions Club
joined in a combined effort and sponsored the Sports banquet at Casa Grande
Union High School presenting trophies for all sports. The Lions Club
stopped being a part of the banquet after a few years but the Kiwanis Club
of Casa Grande continued through 1980.
September 11, 1958 - Key Club at
Casa Grande Union High School
Kiwanis organized the Key
Club at Casa Grande Union High School. The Charter was presented to the
Casa Grande Union High School Key Club in the Evergreen Cafetorum. All
fifteen boys from Casa Grande Union High School were installed at the Key
Club dinner. Cecil Couch, chairman of the committee presented the club
charter to Jim Smith, president. Other officers were Kent Fisher, vice
president; Tom Rhodes, secretary; Carley Levario, treasurer and Allen Lee,
sergeant-of-arms.
December 1964
Charles Pierce was Kiwanis
president when the club started selling Christmas Trees. The clubs first
Christmas Tree lot was located where the old Casa Grande auditorium is
today. Their next lot location was where Kentucky Fried Chicken is today.
From there they moved to the empty lot across the street where Taco Bell
used to be and from there back across the street to where Pizza Hut is
today. In 1990 they moved to the Wal-Mart parking and quit selling
Christmas trees in 2000. Every dollar Kiwanis collected went back into the
community to help support all the projects that Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande
do throughout the year.
August 2, 1974 - Kiwanis Club of
Casa Grande celebrates 25th Anniversary
Friday’s banquet was
attended by 130 Kiwanis, wives and guests to celebrate the 25th Anniversary
of the founding of Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande. The banquet was held at
Francisco Grande and began after club president; Gail Sherbondy introduced
master of ceremonies Dick Smith, Phoenix of the Valley of the Sun Club.
Smith was the governor of the Southwest District. Three members of the club
when it was charted in 1949 were also present, Loren Curtis, Don Bernard
and AI Burton, club secretary. Bernard leafed through civic projects,
including the purchase and construction of Kiwanis Field which later was
dedicated to Casa Grande Union High School. Ronald E. Andersen, Sr., Lt.
Governor of Division 7 attended the celebration.
May 1977 - Don & Myrtle Bernard
Kiwanis Scholarship
The Kiwanis Club of Casa
Grande Memorial Scholarship was established in 1977 to honor the memory of
Don Bernard an outstanding and dedicated Kiwanis member who was actively
involved with Casa Grande youth projects. The scholarship is in conjunction
with matching funds donated by Dr. James Bernard, who graduated from Casa
Grande Union High School and was a physician in Georgia. Dr. Bernard wanted
the scholarship to honor the memory of his mother and father.
Initially the scholarship was
for $500.00 for one deserving Casa Grande Union High School student to
attend Central Arizona College. Over the years the scholarship has
increased to award two scholarships in the amount of $750.00 each.
Don Bernard was a charter
member of the Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande, serving all offices including President
in 1977. Don is the only member of this club to achieve perfect attendance
for 20 years. He was active in helping the youth of our community
especially the Boy Scouts, so it is fitting that this scholarship continue
in his name to help the youth of our community today.
Students may apply for this
scholarship through the Casa Grande Union High School Guidance Office.
August 12, 1999 - Kiwanis Club of
Casa Grande celebrates 50th Anniversary
The Kiwanis Club of Casa
Grande celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the signing of its charter
Thursday at the Holiday Inn. Thursday’s banquet was attended by
approximately 100 Kiwanis, wives and guests from other Arizona clubs to
celebrate the Kiwanis Clubs 50th Anniversary. Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande
president Dan Andersen was presented by Kiwanis Club Division 7 Lt.
Governor, Jeanne Dingott and a copy of the Kiwanis charter and other
documents for the Kiwanis Clubs beginning 50 years ago. The program also
featured a video taken by president Dan Andersen showing lot of the
different projects that the Kiwanis Club of Casa Grande does throughout the
year.
March 30, 2010 - Key Club at Vista
Grande High School
Kiwanis organized the Key
Club at Vista Grande High School on December 11, 2009. The Charter was
presented to Vista Grande Key Club at a dinner banquet held in the Vista
Grande cafeteria on March 30, 2010. There were twenty five Vista Grande Key
Club members installed at the dinner. Jerry Stein, president of Kiwanis
Club of Casa Grande presented the club charter to Key Club president,
Rachel Sutherland. Other officers present were Jade Ivanoff, vice
president; Jamie Simmons, secretary and Jose Tavares Ill, treasurer. Also
present were Editor, Samantha Piper; Activities Director, Max
Stephan-Queen; Freshman Class Sponsor, Luis Hernandez and Sophomore Class
Sponsor, Rusty Taylor. Kiwanis members also present along with president
Jerry Stein were Sherri Shimansky, secretary; Scott Miller, president
elect; Tim Hamilton, principal of Vista
Grande High School; Judy Ferguson; Al Nader and Paul Beatty, Kiwanis Key Club
Advisor. Approximately 75 people attended which included parents, guests
and Key Club.
Today the Kiwanis Club of Casa
Grande gives scholarships to Central Arizona College, Adopt a Family
Christmas Gift, hosts the Kiwanis Invitational Track Meet at Casa Grande
Union High School (this year the 58th, longest running track meet in the
state) Mile Cleanup in April and October (on Trekell, between Florence Blvd
and McMurray Blvd.), sponsors Kiwanis Mutt Show to vaccinate dogs,
Back-To¬ School Back Pack Project, Early Intervention-Infant/Toddler
Christmas Fund, donate to Casa Grande Union High School Graduation,
sponsors and works with Casa Grande Union High School and Vista Grande Key
Clubs, ;Casa Grande Union High School and Vista Grande Chain Gang, Key Club
Convention, help with Halloween Carnival, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, Fire
Department Explorer's Academy, Casa Grande Valley Humane Society and help
other organizations with funding.
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