Submitted photo
Members of the Lewistown Kiwanis Club who were presented with Legion of Honor awards during the club’s 100th anniversary gala held recently at the Lewistown Country Club are, from left, front, Sara Zulueta, PA district governor; Phyllis Palm, 25 years; Dr. William Goss, 45 years; Don Linn, 65 years; Alfred Hughes, 50 years; Gary Oden, 45 years; and Shannon Gingerich, accepting on behalf of the late Philip Gingerich, 40 years; back, Ed Lerch, 35 years; Joe Cannon, 35 years; John Curto, 30 years; Ed Aurand, 45 years; Robert Richard, 35 years; Dan Doberneck, 30 years; and Timothy Searer, 35 years.

LEWISTOWN — This year marks a milestone in the history of the Kiwanis Club of Lewistown.

On Saturday, May 21, local Kiwanians and several special guests gathered at Lewistown Country Club to celebrate the organization’s 100th year of service.

Guest speaker for the event was Sarah Zulueta, district governor of the Pennsylvania District of Kiwanis International. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Kiwanis Legion of Honor awards to those members who have completed 25 years or more in the club. Memes are eligible to receive such awards after 25 years years of service, and every five years thereafter.

The club honored 18 members that have achieved the Legion of Honor award. The longest running is Don Linn at 65 years.

Those receiving 2022 awards included:

25 years — Phyllis Palm and Christopher Warfel.

30 years — John Curto and Dan Doberneck.

35 years — Joe Cannon, Jim Dalton, Ed Lerch, Robert Richard and Timothy Searer.

40 years — Howard Foss, Philip Gingerich (posthumously) and John Pelizzari.

45 years — William Goss, Ed Aurand and Gary Oden.

50 years — Alfred Hughes.

60 years — Niles “Skip” Leeper.

65 years — Don Linn.

Lewistown Kiwanis history

On April 25, 1922, Charles Schmidt, president of the Kiwanis Club of Harrisburg, met with interested community members at a meeting in the Coleman Hotel and assisted with the formation of a temporary Kiwanis organization for Lewistown. The following served as directors: H.C. Burkett, president; Dr. F.A. Rupp, vice-president; S.B. Russell, treasurer; and F.R. Quigley, secretary. Following that meeting, on July 18, 1922, 109 individuals attended the charter presentation for the Lewistown Kiwanis Club held in the social hall of the Lewistown YMCA.

It wasn’t until 1990 that women were invited to join the club.

The defining statement of Kiwanis International reads, “Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.”

The Lewistown Kiwanis Club became very active in the community and has continued to live the defining statement for 100 years.

Featured projects through the years include some as far back as the mid-1920s when meetings with local farmers were held and the early Farm-City Week celebration began. Also early on the club was instrumental in the formation of the Mifflin County Roundtable of Christians and Jews as well as beginning the sports banquets honoring players and coaches of Lewistown High School athletics.

By the mid 1930s, the Underprivileged Children Committee was formed and moved forward with projects including paying medical bills for children needing surgery. In 1948, the club established Camp Kiwanis at Penn Roosevelt Dam, which continued until 1964 when it was given to the Mifflin County 4-H clubs.

Other projects through the years included restoring the ponds at Kish Park to enable the club to hold its annual fishing derby, working at the Klondike Derby for many years, improving sanitary conditions at the Girl Scout camp, giving children refurbished bikes, and installing a new roof and painting the waiting area at the Lewistown Train Station.

Most recently, the club has continued the long tradition of the Lewistown Christmas parade and pancake breakfast, has awarded yearly educational scholarships to graduating seniors of Mifflin County, recognized and thanked health care and EMS workers, established a library for children at a local laundromat, and installed a sink and playground at a local daycare center.

The Lewistown Kiwanis Club sponsored the Juniata County and Mount Union Kiwanis Clubs. The club also sponsors the Mifflin County High School Key Club and the Aktion Club.