Santa Maria Kiwanis Club celebrates 100 years of service to the community

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria Noontime is celebrating 100 years of service to the Santa Maria Valley during the month of October.

"It's a huge accomplishment," said Kiwanis Club treasurer Steven Geraci. "It really talks about the people of Santa Maria that we've been able to be in the community this long, supporting us and us supporting them, and all the great things that we've done during that time."

On Thursday, the club continued its month-long celebration with a presentation of its history during its weekly meeting Thursday afternoon at the Minami Community Center.

The special presentation went along with a handful of other anniversary obervances taking place in October.

There are currently Kiwanis-themed displays set up for community members to view at the Santa Maria Public Library and Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum.

The club has also created a new online digital timeline, which documents the history of the club from its inception to present day.

In addition, the Kiwanis will be honored by the City of Santa Maria next week, when a special proclamation is given to the club by the City Council at its meeting on October 17.

Next Thursday on October 19, the club will hold a 100th anniversary gathering at Toyota of Santa Maria. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. and will be open to the public to provide the community an opportunity to learn more about the organization and what it has accomplished through the many years.

Founded in 1923, the Santa Maria Kiwanis Club has helped support youth, seniors and veterans in the community for a full century.

"It's amazing," said incoming Kiwanis president Donna Beal. "It's epic. It's hard to put into words all the hard work that's been done by this club in the community."

Beal added the club has been actively engaged in the community essentially since the very first day the organization was chartered.

"When we got started in 1923, one of the first things the city asked us to do as a service club was to raise funds for a pool, which at the time was called The Plunge, and so we plunged right in," said Beal. "Then 90 years later, the city also asked us to join them and help with the first all-inclusive playground (in Preisker Park), that wasn't just for Santa Maria, but also for the entire County of Santa Barbara, and of course, we jumped right back in to make that happen, and it was installed in 2020. What an amazing accomplishment, and those are just examples of the things that we have been able to do to support the community and the needs in this community."

In addition to those two significant projects, the Kiwanis have contributed to the community in countless ways, supporting the youth and senior populations through a myriad of programs, services and activities.

"When you look at our history and things that we've done for the community, and continue to do, and plan for in the future, it is a big deal," said Garaci. "We have done quite a bit in terms of helping our youth, supporting all of our programs, our service leadership programs in our schools, providing the community with different facilities, so we have been an integral part of this community for all hundred years."

As the Kiwanis Club celebrates its past, it also is looking to the future. Its members believe the future is bright and the club will continue to remain an important part of the fabric of Santa Maria.

"The Kiwanis Club is definitely here for the community, and there are community needs that are still here, so I don't see us going anywhere anytime soon," said Beal. "There's always going to be people who need the support that we offer, the scholarships, and the support of seniors and all those kinds of things. "

One immediate goal for the Kiwanis is to add to its membership and help bring more people on board to help with its mission to serve the community.

"If you truly want to change and be a part of what's happening in our world, you should join a community organization," said Garaci. "Kiwanis, and any of our other community organizations, you need to be a part of it. It's very important that you have a voice and that's what we give everyone. All of our members have a voice about what's going on in our community."

The Kiwanis Club meets at noon each Thursday at the Minami Community Center, located at 600 W. Enos Drive.

For more information about the The Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria Noontime, click here.