Club History
Chartered
in March 29, 1950, the Kiwanis Club of University Area, Austin is one of the city's
original Kiwanis clubs. From its inception to the present, the club has been a
dynamic unit of the Kiwanis family.
From its
beginning, the club has worked with numerous Austin organizations, such
as The
Settlement Home for Children, a facility dedicated to helping
children who have been abused and neglected. The club provided funding for the
facility's needs and arranged several outings for the children, most notably
Saturday picnics on Lake Travis. Today the club provides gift certificates at
Christmastime so the kids can buy the Christmas gifts that they want. In the
70's the club put on an annual Kids Day at the Austin State Supported Living Center (formerly,
the Austin State School), which houses children and adults with developmental
disabilities. Members pooled together their resouces and talents to provide
games, free refreshments, and entertainment. Several of the members dressed up
as clowns, which was a big hit with the kids. The event was held annually for
about five years.
Local Events
The club
has also been a part of historical events within the city. In the early 50s the
three existing Austin Kiwanis clubs (Austin Club, Capital City Club, and our
club) teamed up to bring pro football to the city. Pro football teams at the
time were having difficulty finding places to play exhibition games. A member
of the Austin Club had a contact in the Chicago
Bears organization and was asked about the possibility of
Kiwanis sponsoring a game in Austin. The Austin Club undertook the project and
brought in the other two clubs to help out. The right to use the
university's Darrell K Roal - Texas Memorial Stadium was
acquired and in August the Chicago Bears played the Detroit
Lions in Austin. The game was a huge success and was sponsored
for two more years. In the early 60s the Bands of the US Military were touring
the country and performing concerts. Club members who were former members of
the Longhorn
Band located contacts to acquire sponsorship for appearances in
Austin. In successive years the club brought the Marine
Corps Band, the Air Force Band, the Navy Band,
and the Coast
Guard Band to the city.
Fundraisers
The
club's first fundraiser took place in 1951. A small Pancake Supper was held at
the Woman's Club. As the Suppers outgrew the
Woman's Club facilities, the event was held in school cafeterias. Today's most
profitable fundraiser is the club's winter fruit sale. In the early 70s the
club made contact with a fruit distributor in the Rio Grande Valley. A deal was
struck whereby fruit was bought and shipped at wholesale prices that the club
then sold at retail. The club started with ruby red grapefruit and Hamlin
oranges and later added apples to the sales.
Service-Leadership Programs
The club
began its largest commitment to Kiwanis service-leadership programs in 1968. That was when The University of Texas at Austin Chapter of Circle K
International (CKI) was chartered, with the University Area
Kiwanis Club as its official sponsor. Since then University Area Kiwanis has
provided solid support for the CKI chapter, which averages 40-50 members each
year and completes hundreds hours of community service. Occasionally, financial support is offered to local Key Clubs to aid with service projects and events attendance. For more information on
UT CKI, visit the Service Leadership section.
The Future
Through
the years, University Area Kiwanis has been a dynamic force within the
community, and it continues that tradition today. As we look to the future we hope continue to solve the many problems faced by young people in the Austin community by providing hands-on service and developing leaders.
