2008 - 2009 Bellingham Kiwanis Projects

Nineteen Members of the Kiwanis Club of Bellingham came for the fun and fellowship.

Fourteen Spouses, Sisters, or Special Guests helped with the fun.

Five volunteers from our affiliate club, the Western Washington University Circle K Club came to lend both hands with the project. We affectionately refer to those volunteers as our YES club (Young, Energetic, and Strong), due to the way they join in our projects. Last year they even invited a big Interclub from two other schools! Way to go, WWU!

One lone member of our affiliate Sponsored Youth Key Club at Squalicum High School in Bellingham joined in the scrubbing and painting. We send a special "Thank you" to Meghan Giller for helping all day long.

The very nice facility of the Boys & Girls Club of Bellingham now looks even sharper with clean, freshly painted walls, organized library material and paperwork, and the exterior brought back to sharp and ready for the blooms and blossoms of spring!

Thanks you, Team, for all you do for the Kids!

Participants for this event were

Club members (19)

Alyson Batcheldor-Bestle, Barbara Audley, Jim Carney, Emily K. Citron, Rich Emerson, Vaughn Hagen, John Howe, Bruce Jorgensen (Project chair), Nancy Larsen, Brenda Litke, Bob MacIsaac, Mike Onorato, Chelsea Roy, Marty Stauffer, Greg Wegrich, Larry West, Russ Weston, Mike Yeend, and Dick Zagelow.

Western Washington University Circle K (4)

Justin Coe, Erin Durch, James Etherington, and Christina Kuusinen.

Squalicum High School Key Club (1)

Meghan Giller.

Kiwanis Family Members (5)

Gary Armstrong, Edie Jorgensen, Shelley Jorgensen, George Kolakowski, and Tanner Litke.

Special Guests (6)

Justin Reiley, Barbara Del Wraa, Jason Del Wraa, Jim Haigh, Pam Haigh, and Anthony Wells.

Boys & Girls Club (2)

Rhonda Schaffer (Program Director) and Nick Perigo.

BELLINGHAM KIWANIS LEADERSHIP RETREAT

BELLINGHAM KIWANIS POCKET PARK

Spring Clean Up

It's Spring! and the Bellingham Kiwanis did their spring cleaning and upkeep at the Bellingham Kiwanis Pocket Park. Years ago, The Bellingham Kiwanis adopted the small park behind Bellingham City Hall. The park includes a trail that goes along Whatcom Creek. The primary chores are weeding and spreading mulch. This year, the project included wrapping wire fensing around the trees to prevent beaver, who have taken up housing in Whatcom Creek, from damaging the trees. As is the tradition, a feast of hot dogs and baked beans concluded the projecdt.

Here is a list of those attending:

BELLINGHAM KIWANIS PLANT SELL

BTC YOUTH CENTER PROJECT

Bellingham Kiwanis Spruce Up Center

The Young Children Priority One committee annually spear-heads a project for the Bellingham Technical College. We do an annual spring clean up of the play yard for the Parenting Class building. This program gives classes in parenting to low income single parents and couples who desire to learn more about the complicated issues of bringing up children. The committee also gives scholarships to those parents who cannot afford the cost of the classes.

The work we do in the play yard consists of refurbishing play equipment, weeding, trimming, power washing, laying beauty bark and gravel and any other chore that is needed. Helping this year was Bruce Jorgensen, Vaughn Hagen, Alyson Batchelder-Bestle, Doug Bestle, Greg Wegrich, Jeri Bungard, Jan Armstrong, Gary Armstrong, Russ Weston, Dick Zagalow and Nancy Larsen,. It took this efficient group only 3 hours to whip the site into shape!
PHOTO GALLERY

THE HUMAN RACE

Funds Raised Support the Kiwanis Sign Program

THE KIWANIS BIKE RODEO

Bicycle Safety Rodeo Saves Children's Lives

September 12, 2009 marked the Sixth Annual Kiwanis Bicycle Safety Rodeo presented by the Kiwanis Club of Bellingham. This was the second year we have had the pleasure of working with the Boys & Girls Club of Bellingham, under the guidance of Rhonda Schaffer. Her group is a pleasure to work with, as they are excited about teaching children the safe way to have fun on our city streets. Our main objective is to help children avoid accidents and to be protected at all times by wearing a properly fitted helmet.

The setup began before dawn, and used the well coordinated efforts of 17 Kiwanians, three Kiwanis family members, a visiting Kiwanian, and ten community members who graciously responded to our requests for help. The setup was complete by the 9:30 kickoff time, and children immediately began the registration process. Parents were required to sign in with their kids, or have permission granted by the Boys & Girls Club representative. Parents also needed to learn the rules of the road so they could reinforce instruction received at the Safety Rodeo.

Riders passed through Turn Signal training and Appropriate Riding Apparel, and had their own helmet or a new helmet fitted for their ride. Instructors stressed the "Every Time" rule to each child and parent combo. After helmet fitting, the children retrieved their bikes or used a loaner from the Club or the Hub Community Bike Co-op, and a bike mechanic from The Bike Shop or Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports checked each bike for safety and function, with complimentary repairs made for minor mechanical problems. Regrettably, some bikes were rejected as unsafe and a loaner bike was substituted.

Then the fun began in earnest. Children were tested and instructed in the "Demon Driveway," a course designed to simulate dangers from cars, animals, and two-way traffic. Young riders learned to look both ways, cross to the proper side of the street before turning down the lane, and to exit to the right side of the street in unsafe circumstances. If a serious mistake was made the rider was returned to the beginning and tested again.

The courses were serial in nature, so the next challenge was "Crazy Crossroads," testing turn signals, stop sign recognition, tight turning, and looking for cross traffic before proceeding. Here the importance of seeing and being seen was stressed repeatedly. When the course was passed without mistakes, the rider was passed on to the "Obstacle Course" for practice avoiding tennis hemisphere "rocks", milk jug "boulders", and challenged to ride with momentum over flat obstacles they might encounter on the road. More experienced riders were able to check their balance and steering skills on the "Teeter-Totter."

Recognition of dangers from the roadside and vehicle traffic was stressed on the "Look Out Behind" course. Storm drains, cats, dogs, rocks and other surface problems, plus a moving truck with a horn, challenged physical control and good judgment in sudden situations. Some riders would turn into the traffic lane when a horn honked behind, placing them in deadly danger of injury in the real world of riding.

The last course was the "Tight Turn-Around" challenge, where the dead end alleys became progressively tighter, teaching the good sense of looking ahead for the widest possible turns and eventual use of the feet in cumbersome turns. Riders were evaluated in all courses with constructive criticism for the parent's attention and plenty of kudos for a job well done. To sweeten the ride, small gifts from local merchants like Haggen Food, Met life agent Chris Bonner, and Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports were available at the Exit Interview.

One lucky Rider will receive a brand new 20 inch bicycle for participating in the Bicycle Safety Rodeo!! 54 riders ran the courses, with several repeating the entire series for added training or just for the fun of it! Kiwanis serves children all around the world one child and one community at a time. We hope to have 150 riders and a lot more community volunteers in the future.

Kiwanis volunteers or donors, in alphabetical order included Jan and Gary Armstrong, Barbara Audley, Jeri-Ann Bungard, Jim Carney, Emily and Matt Citron, Al Dale, Rich Emerson, Robert Gregory, Vaughn Hagen, Layne Johnson, Bruce and Shelley Jorgensen, Nancy Larsen, Kenneth Nuckles, Bob MacIsaac, Bob Olson, Mike Onorato, Chelsea Roy, Marty Stauffer, John Wilson, and Dick Zagelow.

Community members with exceedingly big hearts included Chris Bonner, Jason Del Wraa, Tim Douglas, Christine Estuno, Matt Hagen, Guy Morrissee, Mary Newman, Gary Paige, Regina Peter, Erik Pfietzer, Rhonda Schaffer, Suzanne Steiner, and Matt and Pierce Velguth. Thanks for all you do for the kids!

Would you like to join the fun? For other events or membership information, please call Dr. Bruce Jorgensen, Family Chiropractor and Kiwanian. (360 738-9588) Local businesses are encouraged to help us sponsor some of the expenses, like the cost of helmets that are supplied for children with limited financial means.

Our business partners for 2009 included Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County, North Cascade Cardiology Center, Jorgensen Family Chiropractic, Vaughn S. Hagen, CPA, Bellingham Aviation Services, Fairhaven Bicycle & Mountain Sports, The Hub Bicycle Co-op, Fanatic Bike Co., Northwest Safety Sign, Inc., Wal-Mart, Haggen Food, Met life agent Chris Bonner, Wilson's Fine Furniture, Peoples Bank, and Russel Weston Home Repairs.

BELLINGHAM KIWANIS POCKET PARK

Fall Clean Up

It's Fall! and the Bellingham Kiwanis did their fall cleaning and upkeep at the Bellingham Kiwanis Pocket Park. Years ago, The Bellingham Kiwanis adopted the small park behind Bellingham City Hall. The park includes a trail that goes along Whatcom Creek. The primary chores are weeding and spreading mulch. This year, we were awarded the "Natural Habitat" plaque which we installed by our Kiwanis Sign.

Here is a list of those attending: