In 36 days, the 2024 Sulphur Kiwanis Club Christmas Parade will roll. In 39 days, 40 kids will enjoy a $125 shopping spree thanks to South Lake Charles Kiwanis Club and Target.

Local Kiwanis clubs are at work year-round throughout the community — not just during the holidays — improving the world one child and one community at a time.

Last week, readers found out how North Lake Charles, Southwest and Lake Charles Kiwanians focus on programs and projects that benefit children.

As a reminder, the Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles will continue its Coats for Kids program through Nov. 22.  Drop off gently used coats of all sizes for women, men and children at McDonald’s locations, schools, Runte Lake Cleaners, Crying Eagle Brewing Co., Calcasieu Parish Central Library on West Claude and Sulphur Regional Library on Cypress.

More Kiwanis clubs  doing more good

This Weekend Talk looks at the Calcasieu, South Lake Charles and Sulphur clubs.   

Remember, every club is different, with its own personality, meeting time and place. More than one club participates in the Kiwanis International program, for Bringing Up Grades (BUGSs) a program that recognizes students in elementary school who improve their grades, but each makes its mark on the community in a way unique to the club.

Kiwanis of Calcasieu Parish supports organizations such as Boys Village and organizations that benefit young people on the autism spectrum.

To explain who makes up the Calcasieu Kiwanis Club, Ronald McGinley pointed to information from Kiwanis International.

“Kids need adults who care. That’s why people join Kiwanis clubs. They’re local groups of like-minded volunteers who make a difference. Friends. Neighbors. Anyone who loves serving together to change children’s lives.”

That’s how Danny Lewis became active in the South Lake Charles group. He made connections with someone like-minded. When he and his wife moved back to Lake Charles from Houston, they started going to St. Luke-Simpson United Methodist Church. There they met Don Ash who recruited the Lewises for his Sunday school class.

“We became friends and he introduced me to Kiwanis and other service opportunities,” Lewis said.

The current president is Matt Hughes. He said the club is currently collecting donations to use as prizes in its major fundraising drive, the Sportsman’s Raffle.

“Beginning in January, we’ll stand in front of Stines, Tractor Supply and Rouses to sell tickets through the first of May,” Hughes said.

With that money, the club funds BUGs at five schools, gives 40-plus Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets, partners with Target for the shopping spree, donates to Family and Youth Counseling, Boy Scouts of America, Ainsley’s Angels, Down’s Syndrome Association of SWLA, Children’s Miracle Network, Kiwanis Community Foundation, Kiwanis International Foundation, Give a Wish, LA/MS/WTN Kiwanis District Foundation, St. Nicholas Center, Key Club scholarships, Scout Troop and Club Pack.

Who doesn’t love a good parade?

Longtime Sulphur Kiwanis Club member Randy Broussard grew up in the Sulphur area, but as a new professional in the community, he felt like he needed to be a part of something. It was Broussard who started the Kiwanis parade tradition, which he oversaw until 2023.

“Kiwanis International emphasizes serving children,” Broussard said. “Back in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s, Sulphur did not have a Christmas parade. I flat out love a good parade.”

The ambitious architect wanted to create a parade like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, but with the low, overhead transmission wires in Sulphur, he knew that would never be possible. He soon found out that it didn’t take that to make childrens’ eyes light up.

Eight-foot floating balloons and Santa do the trick.

Other Sulphur Kiwanis programs are the Pitch, Hit and Run, Barn Learning Trail and every year one Sulphur High School senior is awarded a $1,000 per semester 4-year scholarship.

The club’s major fundraiser is boiled shrimp dinners sold around the Easter holiday.

Current president is Chad Guidry. He’s been in the club two years and joined because he wanted to make a difference in the community in which he lives.

For those who want to do the same, multiply those efforts. Join Kiwanis.

There is a Kiwanis club locator site online to find the club most conveniently located. Some clubs have Facebook sites.

If joining is not right for you, support Kiwanis now that you know why those Kiwanis men and women are always selling something.

Helping can be as simple as buying a single raffle ticket, a boiled crawfish dinner or dropping off a gently used coat that a child or someone in the household has outgrown.

Go online to find the Kiwanis club meeting nearest you. Some of the clubs have Facebook pages and websites with meeting place and time posted.