Kiwanians and guests celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos Sunday at the Blue Window Bistro in downtown Los Alamos. Courtesy photo
Kiwanians clockwise from front left, Ann Hayes, Paul Daly, Linda Daly, guest Shay Burns Kendricks, and Kiwanians John Arrowsmith and Pat Soran celebrating the Club’s 75th anniversary Sunday evening at the Blue Window Bistro. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos marked its 75th anniversary with a big celebration Sunday evening at the Blue Window Bistro.
The nonprofit organization was established Jan. 20, 1948.
President Don Siebe joined the Kiwanis Club when he retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory about six years ago.
“It’s an organization filled with good people doing good things,” he said.
Of Sunday’s anniversary event, Siebe said, “It was a good way to celebrate 75 years of service to Los Alamos and beyond!”
Lorraine Hartway joined the Club in June 1990 and served twice as president as well as Lt. Governor of the Southwest District. She was the principal organizer of Sunday’s celebration, which featured a slide show and talks highlighting events in each decade of the Club’s existence from the 1940s through 2000s.
“Twenty five years ago I was president and said, ‘This is our 25th anniversary we should do something’ and everyone said great ‘do it’ (so she did),” Hartway said laughing. “Then last September I said, ‘this is our 75th anniversary we should do something and everyone said great ‘do it’ (so she did it again).
Hartway spoke about why she has cared so much and for so long for the local service organization.
“I’ve got friends there that I didn’t have before joining but they are now,” she said. “They are people who want to do things to help others and when someone comes up with a project – the members want to help!”
The Club has maintained its local presence since 1948 but two additional clubs formed and dissolved in the county during that time. The Sunrise Kiwanis existed between 1981 and 2001 and White Rock Kiwanis from 1986 to 1989.
Kiwanis is an international service organization – the largest in the world with 600,000 members in 80 countries. It was organized in 1915. The current motto is “Serving the Children of the World” or, as is said, “Kids Need Kiwanis”. Kiwanis International (KI) is organized into 53 administrative areas. Los Alamos is in the Southwest District, which includes all of New Mexico, Arizona and the El Paso region of Texas.
During its 75th anniversary year, the Club will be celebrating and presenting a series of short articles to acquaint the community with all that Kiwanis does for Los Alamos.
“We will include some names, projects and events and highlight memorable moments,” Kiwanian Brooke Davis said. “Please check us out if you’re interested in what we do and what we have to offer, we’d love to have you visit and consider joining the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos.”
To learn more, visit https://losalamos.kiwanisone.org.
From left, Kenn Garley, James Phelps, Animal Romero and Santa Fe Club Officer Lynette Kennard. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
Kiwanians and guests celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos Sunday evening at the Blue Window Bistro. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
Kiwanians from left, John Arrowsmith, Tim Glasco and Philo Shelton celebrate the 75th anniversary of the local Kiwanis Club Sunday at the Blue Window Bistro. Shelton is manager of the Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities and Arrowsmith and Glasco each retired from that position. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
Kiwanians dancing the Y.M.C.A. as part of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos Sunday at the Blue Window Bistro. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com