The Highland Area Kiwanis Club is preparing to celebrate 21 years of community service by gathering past, present, and honorary members with local dignitaries for a special breakfast meeting on July 9. The club chartered with Steve Walker as its first president July 14, 1994.
Since 1994, the club has helped create and organize many of Highland’s community events and held numerous service projects, many with an emphasis on benefiting the community’s children.
In its 21 years the club has served by fundraising for charitable organizations, participating in or organizing community events like Operation Santa Claus, the Citrus Harvest Festival and the YMCA Fun Run. The club has also adopted local schools and sponsored Key Clubs and K Kids student service clubs at San Gorgonio High School, Pacific High School and Warm Springs Elementary.
Current club president Tony Mauricio says he is excited about the upcoming celebration, especially the time that will be reserved for members to share stories and memories of the club and its activities.
The anniversary meeting will include a catered breakfast at the East Highlands Ranch Spring House.
Mayor Pro Tem Penny Lilburn was one of the founding members. She served as its first vice president and was a longtime member with 11 years perfect attendance until other priorities, her daughter and city council, filled her time.
Steve Walker was the club’s first president and Bruce Meikle served as club secretary. That original board also included Rick Hartmann, Harriet Foucher and Lane Stafford.
“We started as just a small group,” Lilburn said. “Sometimes there was only enough at the meetings for a little table, but we maintained enough members for the club. We just stayed the course, met our mission and the club built.”
The club chartered with a roster of about 45 members but as people began to realize it was a weekly commitment some left as others joined bringing the active members to about 25, Lilburn said. The club held its Thursday meetings at the Tarton and began its service projects so people could see the good the club was doing in the community.
Some of the club’s earliest projects included pancake breakfast fundraisers and raising donations in salt cans for a national fundraiser to eliminate Iodine deficiency disorder, according to Lilburn.
Harriet Foucher said she joined the club for its community service and emphasis on serving children and schools. Foucher was the club’s first treasurer and has since served as vice-president, president elect and four-time president. She was recently elected the club’s secretary, her first time in the role.
When reminiscing about the club’s early days Foucher and Lilburn both said the club, with the closeness of its members, soon became like a family.
“When I first got involved I wasn’t sure what it consisted of and soon realized it was a weekly commitment,” Lilburn said. “We then started to become like a little family growing very close to each other and looking forward to seeing each other every week. I had a daughter who was just a baby, and they were all so very supportive and became like family to me.”
Lilburn said her daughter, Courtney, grew up attending the club meetings and service projects and eventually served as president of the Moore Middle School Key Club, a student service club sponsored by the Kiwanis Club.
Current president Mauricio joined the club four years ago, drawn in by its success in community service, and he says being in the club has helped make serving his community a major drive in his life.
“You don’t have to be a member of Kiwanis Club to be a Kiwanian,” Mauricio said. “It’s a dedication to your community and love of your town that makes you want to join Kiwanis in its service projects.”
The anniversary meeting on July 9 will run from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the EHR Stone House, 7151 Club View Dr.
“We’re inviting local dignitaries, past and present members and making it as fun and interactive as we can,” Mauricio said.