By Bonni Sundberg
Special to the Reporter
With Christmas approaching quickly, the Kiwanis Club of Kirkland is gearing up for their biggest fundraiser of the year.
Since 1971, the club has sold Christmas trees, wreaths, gourmet nuts and delicious delights with all funds going to support the children of the Kirkland community.
The tree lot is located in the parking lot of Juanita Beach Park. It opens Nov. 23 (the day after Thanksgiving) and will remain open until all the trees are sold.
Last year, things sold out early, so residents are encouraged to not wait too long.
Tree lot hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Juanita Beach Park is located at 9703 NE Juanita Dr. in Kirkland.
All of the net proceeds from the tree lot will go to programs designed to assist children and families that need help in the Kirkland community. They include Attain Housing, Key Club leadership conventions, Special Olympics, What’s Next Bowlers, scouting, Kiwanis Camp Casey, Eastside Baby Corner, Kirkland Easter egg hunt, Kirkland Teen Union Building and Youth Institute programs, Boys and Girls Club and more.
In past years, funds also benefited the Eliminate Project, a joint effort between Kiwanis and UNICEF, whose goal is to eliminate neonatal tetanus, which is fatal for tiny newborns around the world. As of 2017, Kiwanis International has reached its goal of $110 million dollars.
Proceeds from the tree lot will also go toward student scholarships and the Kirkland Kiwanis Foundation recently announced that it will award up to seven scholarships ranging from $1,000-$2,500 to graduating seniors on the Eastside.
Students may attend any public or private high school but they or their parents must live or work within the attendance boundaries of Lake Washington High School or Juanita High School. This includes Kirkland as well as parts of Redmond and Woodinville.
Applications for general college scholarships are due April 15, 2019.
The Kirkland Kiwanis scholarships honor Kiwanis members who have exemplified the Kiwanis tradition of service to the community. The scholarships are based on multiple factors, including academic performance, financial need and community service.
“Supporting our community’s young people is one of the principal purposes of Kiwanis,” said foundation president Bill Badgely. “The Kiwanis scholarship program is just one of our programs assisting young people in our community. From Eastside Baby Corner to high school Key Clubs to Kirkland’s Teen Union Building, Kiwanis is there.”
The Kirkland Kiwanis Foundation also sponsors the Bill Petter Memorial Scholarships ($2,100 awards) for graduating seniors who will pursue transportation technology studies at an accredited technical college.
“The number ‘21’ always had a special place in Bill Petter’s life,” former club president Mark Tillman noted.
The award amount was set in recognition of that number. Applications for the Bill Petter Memorial Scholarships are also due on April 15, 2019.
For additional information, or to obtain a scholarship application for either program, contact scholarship committee chair Stephen Sperry at steve@sscapital.net.
For more information about the Kiwanis Club of Kirkland or the foundation, visit kirklandkiwanis.org or contact Tom Pendergrass, secretary at 206-920-1949.
