“Building our community one child at a time” For the past Century!

The Downtowner

Newsletter of the Kiwanis Club of Allentown

April 1, 2019 ________________________________________________________________________

March 14 Meeting

President Todd and Serena

The highlight of our March 14 dinner meeting was the induction of our newest member,

Serena Ranney. Serena grew up in Shelton, Washington where she was very active in

her high school Key Club. She went on to Washington State University where she majored

in food science, and was a leader in the school’s Circle K Club. After graduation from

college, Serena began to search nationally for a job in the food industry and was hired by

Just Born of Bethlehem as a Quality Assurance Technician. She had inquired about

joining a Kiwanis Club in our area, and Tom Harp reached out to her via e-mail and invited

her to our meeting in January. She joined our club at that time, and we were able to

schedule her induction ceremony for the March meeting. Some interesting background

information about Serena: she was a self-employed commercial fisherman from 2014-17

in Alaska, where she set and cleaned a 50-fathom net, picked and hauled salmon to be

sold at the cannery. She also assisted in cabin affairs such as maintenance and supply

management in remote Alaska without electricity or running water! Serena obviously

loves the outdoors, and loves community service. We welcome Serena to our Allentown

Kiwanis family!

Mike Ventola

The speaker at our March 14 meeting was Mike Ventola, Media Relations Manager for

the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Mike is new to the organization, after serving the past three

years as the Director of Media Relations for the Reading Fightin’ Phillies. He was also

their radio broadcast play-by-play announcer. Mike grew up in Easton, and earned a

degree in communications from Immaculata University. His primary role with the IronPigs

is to serve as their liaison with the media. He will write their press releases, and arrange

media events. Mike loves minor league baseball, which is family-friendly with reasonable

ticket and food prices. He provided an overview of the upcoming season promotional

highlights, including many “theme” games like “Star Wars Night”, “Harry Potter Night”,

“Mister Rogers Night”, etc. There will be several bobble-head giveaways, including one

of IronPigs reliever Pedro Beato dressed as the Jobu doll in the “Major League” movie.

There will be several new food options this year, including lobster mac and cheese, a

Cuban burger, Stromboli, and a “Not Your Cozens” hot dog loaded with pulled pork and

other garnishes. Mike replaced the popular Matt Provence, and will be doing the pre-

game show on SECTV with Doug Heater this season. One other change this year is that

the team will no longer be printing out the “Pork Illustrated” magazine they handed out at

the gates. Instead, they will posting it on-line. They will, however, have printed scorecards

available at the ball park for fans who like to keep score. It should be another fun and

exciting season for the IronPigs this year!

March Service Projects

We would like to thank volunteers Enos Martin, Young Chang, Tom Harp, Bob Krupka, Joyce Crosby and Terry Kennedy for helping out with the annual IHOP National Pancake Day fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on March 12. Enos got there early to greet diners and encourage them to donate towards this cause. Throughout

the day, guests lined up to take advantage of a free short stack of pancakes. It was a hectic day for staff, but a fulfilling one in knowing that the event benefitted a great cause.

“Mr. Pancake”

Our second service project last month was to assist with the Raub Middle School “Family Fun Night” on March 28. Enos and Susan Martin, Jeff and Rosie Burnatowski, and our newest member Serena Ranney ran the BINGO game that evening. Enos donated a Wegman’s food basket as a prize. Everyone seemed to have a great time.

Raub Family Fun Night Bingo!

Club Receives Award at Mid-Winter Conference

Three members of our club, Young Chang, Tracy Davis and Enos Martin attended the Pa. District Kiwanis Mid-Winter conference in State College on March 16. They attended sessions about Membership Growth, Service Leadership Programs, and Club Administration. At the luncheon, our club was recognized for being a Distinguished Club in 2018-19. The criteria for that included a net increase in membership, the development of at least one Service Leadership Program, and the completion of a Signature Service Project. And as a bonus, our club received the Pa. District Kiwanis Signature Project Award for our annual LVCC picnic. There were 10 projects entered statewide. Our project

was then submitted to receive an award at the KI Convention in June, but was not selected at that level. Regardless, we are certainly proud of receiving this award at the state level!

Enos and Young Accept Award

11th Annual LVCC Picnic!

It is that time of the year when we seriously plan for our annual picnic for over 230 pre-school children from four Allentown Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC) facilities. Once again this year, the picnic will be held at the Rose Garden Park pavilions, located on Honochick Drive in Allentown. The event will take place on Thursday, May 16 from 10:30 AM to 1 PM, but volunteers should arrive at the site no later than 10 AM if possible. Volunteers who arrive before 10 can help out with decorations, tablecloths, setting up games, etc. The kids begin arriving by bus by 10:15 AM or so. We would like to thank Keith and Jessica Reynolds for sponsoring this event every year. They do all the planning, buy all the food, decorations, arts & crafts supplies, etc. Our volunteers help with setup, cooking the hot dogs, and supervising food service by Key Clubs. This year, over 50 Key Club volunteers form William Allen, Allentown Central Catholic, Salisbury, Emmaus, Parkland and Whitehall High Schools will be helping out. They will escort the children from one activity to the next every 12 minutes. They will then assist them in enjoying each activity. This year’s picnic activities will include: bubble-making, a parachute game, obstacle course, building with foam blocks, a “freeze dance” with music, an arts project, and science demonstration. We should provide at least 10 volunteers for the event. Some could come early to help setup and then leave if they have to. Others could come later just to help with the cookout and cleanup. Tom Harp will be sending out a call for volunteers. Please consider joining us. It is a fun and uplifting experience!

“Bundles for Babies”

The “Bundles for Babies” knitting group, led by Peg Harp, continues to meet every Tuesday from 3-4 PM at Atria Assisted Living in Bethlehem. Each week, at least 8 Atria residents join Peg in knitting baby blankets, hats and other items for the Nurse-Family Partnership. If you are interested in joining the group, call Peg at 610-428-9878.

April Service Project

Spring has sprung! And that means planting season. On Sunday, April 28, from 3-5 PM our club will join other volunteers in planting saplings along Keystone Drive near the Fish Hatchery. The Friends of Allentown Parks is coordinating this effort. They will provide gloves if needed. Volunteers should bring along long-handled spades to dig holes for the saplings. If you are interested in helping out, contact Tom Harp at 610-428-1427.

Service Leadership Programs

Terry Kennedy reports that the South Mountain Middle School Builders Club is still in transition with a new faculty advisor, Jill Arington. The Club started working on the spring project of supplying the Lehigh County Animal Shelter with goody bags for new pet owners. March 19th was their first fundraising event. They had a bake sale at the school's game night and netted $52.50 which will be used for a pizza party recognition for the home room donating the most for the pet shelter. It was such a hit that evening that the Club decided to have another bake sale at the school's bingo night Tuesday April 30th. Last Thursday they worked with the school's video club to prepare a presentation for the school's morning announcements to kick off the collection drive for the animal goody bags starting next week. They plan to also visit the homerooms, explain the project, and leave a collection box to collect pet supplies during the month of April. At the next club meeting, they plan to work on advertising posters for their project to put around the school. This is new and still very much a work in progress.

The Raub Middle School Builders Club is decorating shoe boxes for every classroom to use in collecting “Box Tops for Education.” The deadline for collecting the box tops is November 1, 2019. Enos Martin has encouraged our club membership to donate box tops from designated products. The Raub Bulders Club is planning a litter cleanup around the school this month, as well as exploring new ways to grow their membership.

The Ramos Elementary School K-Kids Club initiated a “Pennies for Patients” fundraiser to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the month of March.

According to our club advisor Vic Mazziotti, the K-Kids members hung up posters, distributed collection boxes to each classroom, and even made a short video to promote the fundraiser! The Washington Elementary School K-Kids Club is working on a project for the homeless, and will be doing some cleanup around the school this month. Finally, we are exploring the founding of a K-Kids Club at the Union Terrace Elementary School. Enos Martin and Deb Lamb recently met with the principal there. He seemed interested in having a K-Kids Club there, and was also interested in the Kiwanis “B.U.G. (Bringing Up Grades) Program”.

A Glance Into Our Past

100 Years Ago – April 1919

The Kiwanis Club of Allentown partnered with the Allentown Rotary Club to complete the campaign to raise $25,000 for the Armenian Fund. By early 1919, many Armenians and Syrians had been massacred by the Turks. Many homes had been destroyed and approximately 400,000 children were left homeless. The fund was established to provide food for the starving and help them re-establish the families in homes with implements to allow them to till the soil to grow vegetables for food.

75 Years Ago – April 1944

The Kiwanis Club members addressed 200 post cards to send to 14 of their members who were serving overseas in World War II. Members were requested to provide personal notes on the cards to their peers. The Club hoped to complete this activity once a month for the duration of the war to let the servicemen know that they were not forgotten.

50 Years Ago – April 1969

Club membership was at 205 with 156 active members, 21 privileged members and 28 senior members. Attendance at the meetings was over 80% of the 156 active members with an average of 132 members at each weekly meeting at the Americus Hotel.

25 Years Ago – April 1994

Pat Toomey, the current senator for Pennsylvania, addressed the Kiwanis Club on the “Allentown Government Study” at its April 21st meeting. He was running for a position on the Government Study Commission. At the time, he was co-owner of three Allentown businesses: Rockin’ Robins at the shopping center at the corner of American Parkway and Hamilton Street; Rookies All-American Sports Pub and Restaurant at 13th and Tilghman Streets; and Boca Joe’s Beach Club in the old Allentown train station which has been vacant for many years. The Club was also collecting underwear for children ages 2-5 during the month. The underwear was being donated to the Salvation Army, Council of Churches, Turning Point, and the Lehigh Valley Food Bank.

- Enos Martin

Division 18 News

Kiwanis Club of Allentown Northeast Semi-Annual Pancake Breakfast, Saturday, May 11 between 8:00 – 10:00 AM Applebee’s, Catasauqua Road, Bethlehem.

Kiwanis Club of Emmaus 67th Annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 20, 1 PM, (Rain or Shine). Emmaus Community Park, 13th & Broad Streets, Emmaus. Five age groups (Toddlers thru Age 10). Prizes for numbered eggs. Come meet the Easter Bunny! For further information: (610) 395-4818, or www.emmauskiwanis.org

Kiwanis Club of Emmaus 46th Annual Pancake Festival, Sunday, June 2nd, 8 AM to Noon. Emmaus Fire Company #1, 6th & Broad Streets, Emmaus, PA. Tickets: $7.00 per person, children under age 10 eat free. All the pancakes you can eat! for tickets and information: (610) 395-4818 or www.emmauskiwanis.org.

- Chas Chase

Upcoming Meetings and Activities

SERVICE PROJECT - Bundles for Babies” knitting project at Atria Senior Assisted Living in Bethlehem. Tuesdays at 3:00 PM in Atria’s activity room. MONTHLY CLUB MEETING - Thursday, April 11, 12 PM Noon. SPECIAL MEETING PLACE THIS MONTH ONLY: Community Music School, 1544 Hamilton Street, Allentown. Speaker will be Jeff Reed, Director of CMS, who will be providing us with a tour of their new facility.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING - Wednesday, April 24, 5-6 PM at the J.S. Burkholder Funeral Home. SERVICE PROJECT – Sunday, April 28, 3 PM – 5 PM. Plant seedlings at Allentown Park.

April Birthdays

NONE!

- Tom Harp, Editor