Ankeny High School Key Club Donates $1,000 to Ankeny Miracle Park

From an Ankeny school district media release:

As part of their annual philathropic projects, Ankeny High School Key Club members have donated $1,000 to the Ankeny Miracle Park project in memory of Joe Tourte, an Ankeny High School student who passed away last year. 

The club had set a goal earlier in the school year of raising $1,000 for the park and then worked selling lanyards, coordinating fund-raising events such as an 'Ugly Sweater Day' at schools, bussing tables for donations at HuHot, as well as staffing tables and passing buckets during 'Miracle Nights' at AHS sporting events.  

"The Parks and Recreation Department is extremely grateful for the $1,000 donation by the AHS Key Club toward the Miracle Park project," said Ankeny Parks and Recreation recreation supervisor Ryan Penning.  "This group worked very hard throughout the school year to make this contribution."

Penning said the Ankeny Community School District has been a key supporter of this project and this donation is another example of that.  

"Thank you to these outstanding students who made this donation in honor of their classmate," Penning said.  

Last year, Key Club members worked to raise money for Joe Tourte, an Ankeny student who passed away while awaiting a heart transplant.  This year the club decided to donate to the Miracle Park in memory of Joe.  

“We are very proud of the service orientation of our students, and love to see them give of themselves, their time and their efforts, to help such a worthy cause,” said AHS Principal Jeff Hawkins.  “This is also yet another tribute to how special Joe Tourte was to our AHS family, and I am pleased our students could honor him in such a way.”  

Since fundraising began in January 2012, the Miracle Park Steering Committee has secured $1,040,000 in pledged donations toward the $1.2 million goal. Fundraising will continue throughout 2013 to ensure the Miracle League field and all-inclusive playground will be completed as soon as possible.

Work on site will continue this spring with additional site preparation and concrete work. Once the concrete work is completed, citizens will begin to see work done on the ball-field and some vertical infrastructure.  

The Ankeny Key Club is sponsored by the Ankeny Kiwanis Club and has 30 members this year, including sophomores, juniors, and seniors.  As a service organization, the group strives to complete one service project per month. Projects completed this year include coordinating or assisting with Meals from the Heartland, Hawks Against Hunger food collections for the Ankeny Backpack Buddies program, assisting at the district large group speech contest, and the school blood drive.

The Key Club is part of Kiwanis International's family of clubs and strives to provide high school students with opportunities to develop leadership skills and to utilize those skills in serving their school and community. The group's focus on service also provides high school students with opportunities to earn Silver Cord service hours. Faculty advisers Teresa Lawler and Mallory Zielinski, as well as Kiwanian Kerry Walter-Ashby, work with the student members.  

For further information on contributing to the Miracle Park project contact Ryan Penning at 515-963-3574. Contributions can also be made on-line at www.ankenymiracleleauge.com. All donations will be recognized on site. 

For more information about Key Club and its projects, please contact teresa.lawler@ankenyschools.org or the Ankeny Kiwanis Club at www.ankenykiwanis.org or rioashby@gmail.com.