Tampa Kiwanis Club Celebrates 100 Years Of Community Service

TAMPA, FL — The oldest Kiwanis Club in the state is celebrating its 100th year of raising millions of dollars and donating countless volunteer hours to the Tampa community.

The Kiwanis Club of Tampa, chartered on Oct. 24, 1919, will celebrate its centennial on Friday, Sept. 27 at the historic Palma Ceia Country Club.

The event will include a cocktail reception, dinner and a special program looking back on the club's 100 years of service to the Tampa community.

“We anticipate a memorable night for our members and guests," said 100th anniversary chairwoman Marilaine Sheldon.

Among its current community service projects, the Kiwanis Club of Tampa builds ramps for the disabled, holds immunization events, purchases holiday gifts for children in need, provides scholarships, works with leadership clubs in schools at the middle school, high school and college level, and builds reading rooms in Boys & Girls Clubs around Tampa. Additionally, the club's foundation provides $50,000 a year in grants to local nonprofit organizations.

As part of The Kiwanis Club of Tampa’s 100th anniversary, the Tampa Kiwanis Foundation will award a grant of $100,000 to a nonprofit organization. This grant must be used to improve the early childhood development or early childhood school readiness of Hillsborough County children and must be for a capital expense or new program development to build additional capacity.

“We are in the process of soliciting grant applications and are proud to be able to positively impact the early development and school readiness of Hillsborough County children,” said Dave Rogoff, president of the Tampa Kiwanis Foundation.

Among the club's most popular events is The Incredible Duck Race held in Curtis Hixon Park. During the event, 15,000 yellow rubber ducks sponsored by residents for $5 each are released into the Hillsborough River and carried away by the current. The ducks that reach the finish line first earn their sponsors prizes ranging from $5,000 to $500.

Other events include the annual BBQ Chicken Fundraiser. Tickets are now on sale for the 51st annual barbecue set for Thursday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Last year the club distributed more than 10,000 barbecue meals. This year the Kiwanis Club is partnering with Metropolitan Ministries' Inside the Box Catering. Residents can order barbecue dinners consisting of half a barbecued chicken, potato chips, dinner roll and a cookie for $12 each for their own family, friends or employees or donate meals to Metropolitan Ministries or Meals on Wheels for residents in need.

The deadline to place orders in Oct. 10. Click here.

The Tampa Bay History Center currently has an exhibit highlighting the 100-year history of the Kiwanis Club of Tampa. This exhibit will be on display until Sept. 26.

Check out the behind-the-scenes video below of Kiwanians Trina Sessions and Amanda Malinowski installing the exhibit.