Seasons of Service
March of Dimes (Spring)
The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help fight polio. Within only 12 years, the March of Dimes had amassed more than $1 million in funds that helped researchers identify all three polio viruses. In 1954, the March of Dimes ran field trials of the polio vaccine with more than 1.8 million school children participating. This began what would become their concerted effort to save babies from birth defects. Key Club International began partnering with the March of Dimes in the 1960s by holding dances, carwashes, and bake sales to raise funds to further research in the medical field to help reduce birth defects. Key Club members around the world remember collecting dimes in hopes that someday children would be born free of birth defects. Though times have changed since the inception of this organization, one thing remains the same: Each day young children are being born with birth defects. Some are easily prevented while others still remain a mystery to modern medicine. Key Club is proud to partner with the March of Dimes as we join together to save babies. March of Dimes currently focuses on four main goals: Reduce birth defects by 10 percent Reduce infant mortality Reduce low birthweight to no more than 5 percent of all live births Increase the number of women who get prenatal care in the first trimester Each year 750,000 corporations and individuals participate in WalkAmerica to benefit the March of Dimes. Key Club members can form teams and join their local March of Dimes Chapter in this endeavor. All contributions will remain at the local level to help with the fight against birth defects. The March of Dimes also is promotes a Folic Acid/Vitamin B Campaign to help educate mothers and mothers-to-be about the importance of a daily dose of folic acid/vitamin B. Together we can make a difference. Together we can ensure that babies are born healthy. Together we can reach out around the world and know that we are ensuring a safe tomorrow for children everywhere.
To learn more log on to www.marchofdimesyouth.com
Children's Miracle Network (Summer)
Hospitalized infants and children need special pharmaceuticals and equipment engineered to work with their small stature. From the tiniest tube or milliliter of medication to ECMO, a formidable device that acts as an artificial lung outside the body, medicines and machines that help sick kids get well are specialized - and high priced. Skilled pediatric professionals armed with evolving treatments and expensive tools work to save more than 14 million children annually from life-threatening injuries, birth defects, cancer, and numerous other ailments.
In order to afford treatment, children's hospitals require funding. Children's Miracle Network (CMN) is a nonprofit organization that raises money to benefit hospitalized kids and increases awareness of its member hospitals. All CMN contributions directly benefit hospitals, helping to purchase up-to-date equipment, train staff, conduct life-saving research, implement outreach programs, and provide healthcare for children whose parents can't afford to pay.
In 1996, Key Club International decided to partner with CMN. Clubs participate in Service of Champions Day (a service-a-thon that raises money for hospitals and benefits communities simultaneously), sponsor dance marathons, and stage other fund-raising events. In addition to raising funds, Key Club members also can participate in service projects at their local children's hospital in the following ways:
Provide toys and dolls for kids going through trauma
Contribute to or create video, toy, or book lending libraries or playrooms
Help staff information booths or surgery waiting rooms
Assist families with children who require long-term care or who live great distances from hospitals
Support safety campaigns or parent education programs
Purchase specific pieces of equipment
To learn more log onto www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org
UNICEF (Autumn)
UNICEF, the only organization of the United Nations dedicated exclusively to children, works with other United Nations bodies, governments, and non-governmental organizations to assist in children's needs through community-based-services in primary health care, basic education, and safe water and sanitation in more than 140 developing countries. UNICEF shares the Kiwanis family's global commitment to children and has provided its extensive resources and leadership to assist in the Worldwide Service Project to virtually eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) from the globe.
UNICEF is much more than IDD. It is an organization dedicated to ensuring a brighter future for the children of the world. It focuses on an unlimited number of topics including:
Humanitarian programs around the world
Relief and recovery work in nations that have been devastated by natural disasters
Vitamin A global initiative
Convention of the Rights of the Child
To learn more about these programs and how issues facing children are being addressed, contact UNICEF and learn more. Key Clubs can actively participate in a wide assortment of programs and projects to help educate their communities and the world about issues facing children.
To learn more log onto www.unicefusa.org/keyclub