Kiwanis youth collect for UNICEF

Kiwanis youth collect for UNICEF

PIQUA - Piqua High School Key Club and Piqua Junior High Builders Club will continue their support of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, during trick-or-treat night in Piqua. The youth groups are sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club of Piqua. Now in its 19th year of partnership, Key Club and Builders Club have raised more than $5 million for UNICEF. For more than 60 years, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has served as the Original Kids Helping Kids campaign. In 1950, children across America were inspired to collect coins for UNICEF to aid children abroad enduring the after-effects of World War II. It was not just a charity effort-it was a call to end the needless suffering of their more vulnerable peers around the globe. Since then, for generations of Americans, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has been a powerful way to make a different in the lives of the world's children. Both youth groups are student-led service leadership programs of Kiwanis International. Key Club is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. Key Club gives its members opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership skills. Since 1925, Key Club International has provided more than 12 million hours of service to homes, schools and communities each year. Builders Club is the junior high introduction into Kiwanis Club and K-Kids are the primary and intermediate clubs sponsored by Kiwanis. This year all monies collected will be used to support the Kiwanis International Eliminate Project. The Eliminate Project has been adopted by Kiwanis and UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). "MNT kills one baby every nine minutes," said Kelly Meckstroth, local Kiwanis Club chairperson. "The effects of the disease are excruciating-tiny newborns suffer repeated, painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. A significant number of women die from MNT each year too," she said. "It is the goal of our International Kiwanis Club and UNICEF to help eliminate MNT and give the poorest families the chance to lead the healthy lives they deserve," she added. "We are proud to be a part of this project." "The high school and junior high students will be carrying orange UNICEF boxes collecting money to aid those less fortunate throughout the world," said Kim Bean, Key Club adviser at PHS, and Connie Black, Builders Club adviser at PJHS. "We have been doing this for many years and the kids all get excited about doing something to help others," she added. "It's a great way to promote service and give to others. We hope the community will continue their support of this wonderful project," they continued. Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Kiwanis Club of Piqua meets on Wednesdays at noon at The Learning Place in Piqua. For more information, call Brian Phillips at 778-1586.