To further demonstrate their spirit, service club Kiwins performed their duty of helping out the community as they volunteered at a Pediatric Carnival and at the Keep Downey Beautiful program during the month of September. From volunteering at carnivals to keeping the community clean, the Kiwanians ensure that they provide for more than just one aspect of society before and during the school year.
“Kiwins is a great place to find your inner kindness,” senior Eduardo Ramirez said. “Students learn to give back to the community by helping others or even just the community itself.”
Days prior to the first day of school, Sept. 3, a Pediatric Carnival was held at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. In this event, 15 members from the school’s Kiwins club assisted in giving out food to children with disabilities originating from a traumatic illness or injury. Over 400 individuals including families and volunteers attended this event. To top it all of, a couple firemen from the Downey Fire Department also attended the event; they played with patients and informed them about some of the fire equipments. The Kiwanian volunteers certainly enjoyed passing out the food and interacting with the pediatric patients.
“It’s not always easy finding ways to help others,” President Marvin Salazar said. “This carnival gave us an opportunity to communicate and help the pediatric patients while also having fun.
Besides serving the citizens in the community, this service club also participates in the Keep Downey Beautiful program occurring monthly. This project—organized by an employee of the city council—gathers together individuals who are eager to maintain the cleanliness of the city. On Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 volunteers along with other helpers from the area strolled around the riverbed by Rio San Gabriel Park and picked up debris that could have possibly found its way to the pipes that lead straight to the ocean.
“Seeing the tremendous amount of trash we collected is a real eye opening,” Public Relations Manager Pimlada Tantiwuttipong said. “I wouldn’t want people’s trash to end up in the ocean, and that is why this program is really beneficial.”
As the school year progresses, the club plans on having more events and volunteer opportunities for the student body to take part in. Every Wednesday after school, the Kiwanians meet in Ms. Bell’s room in B-207 where they discuss upcoming projects. Students with the drive to serve their neighborhood are welcome to join as the club continues to make a difference in the community.
