Ti Kiwanis continue good work for area children

TICONDEROGA | On the cusp of marking 100 years of charitable giving and working to enhance the life of residents, the Ticonderoga Kiwanis will celebrate a century of benevolence in 2027. As the club continues its work within the community with a new project, in addition to their numerous yearly endeavors, current Kiwanis secretary and three-time past president Tom Schaffer encourages those looking for a worthwhile cause to invest time in to consider becoming a member. "If you want to give back, especially if you are retired and we focus on the youth, which I think is important, this is the club for you," Schaffer revealed. "We have a good solid core of members; in fact, the Ti Kiwanis is one of the largest in the Adirondacks in our district. We are a fun loving group that enjoys each other's company and what we do within the community, and most of our financial resources are applied to children's programs." Already having started the year strong with a long list of annual projects that focus on children, club members are never bored. Every weekend you will find Kiwanis members delivering backpacks full of nutritious food for local youth in need as part of their flagship project, the Ticonderoga Area Backpack Program. The program runs throughout the year and provides food on 33 weekends during the school year and in the summer months as well. "John Bartlett was president at the time, and his vision was to create this," Schaffer praised. Schaffer said Bartlett had the foresight to understand there needed to be a donor pool. By seeking and acquiring a 501(c)(3) designation, which allowed generous donations to be written off during tax season, Bartlett was able not only get the program off the ground, but grow the effort; the Backpack Program has taken on its own identity and become its own entity, having expanded from initially serving 30 kids in 2013 to now encompassing seven local area schools and 300 children in need. "Getting that status was huge," Schaffer added. Earlier this month, the Kiwanis held their beloved Easter Egg Hunt in Percy Thompson Bicentennial Park, a Ticonderoga tradition that satisfies sweet tooths and marks the beginning of spring. "It is amazing how many people come out for that," Schaffer noted. "Everyone is always very grateful and excited to participate." With over 100 children and their families gathering by the LaChute Falls this year, Schaffer said the event generally takes an hour and a half to set up. Once the blow of the horn sounded this year, the grass of the park was completely picked clean in under four minutes, beaming faces the only evidence there had been any candy peppering the ground at all. And smiling young faces are what the Kiwanis hope for in everything they do. For the next two years, the club will be undertaking a meaningful new project, one that may ultimately have more impact than anyone can imagine- the Kiwanis will be involved in a three-part initiative to help local foster children. "This is a project established by our current New York State District Governor Carla Ingram," explained Kiwanis Lt. Governor for the Adirondack Division, Mary Cunningham. According to Schaffer, the first part of the project will be to create "Blessing Bags," which will contain needed items for a child to start out in his or her new foster home. When children are placed into a new foster home, there is generally a level of anxiety, fear, and unease. The bags are a way to provide a small ray of sunshine and security for kids who are in an uncertain situation. The bags will include items like socks, underwear, books, games, notebooks, crayons, markers, etc. "The bags will be provided to us, and we will put together as many as we can and label each for a boy or girl and their age," Schaffer explained. "We are hoping to get help from our Ti Key Club in assembling these bags. These bags will be distributed locally by social services organization(s) yet to be determined." The second component of the project will be to raise funds to send children to "Kamp Kiwanis." "It costs $900 to send one child to camp so we will be working along with other clubs in this endeavor," Schaffer said. "The third part of the project is to contact our local Deptartment of Social Services or another foster care program to coordinate the Blessing Bag distribution." The Kiwanis also aspire to ensure local children's vision needs are met through Caring for Kids. Within the school district, there will at times be children in need of an eye exam and glasses, but the budget at home doesn't allow for those expenses. "We have a deal worked out with Ti Optics," Schaffer shared. "They will provide the glasses for free, and the Kiwanis pay for the necessary eye exams. Typically we get two to four kids a year we do that for." Additionally, Ti Kiwanis supports Little League Baseball, the Girls' Softball League, and the Distinguished Young Woman of the Year Scholarship Program. They also donate to the Kiwanis International Children's Fund with a budgeted yearly donation. "We financially support the Festival Guild for their children's programs, the Heritage Museum for their children's program, the Best Fourth in the North, FallFest, and the End of Winter Carnival," Schaffer said. This past summer, the Ticonderoga High School Alumni Association recognized the Ti Kiwanis Club for its efforts to improve lives within the community with their 2025 Special Service Award. The community at large is also the beneficiary of the Kiwanis' efforts. The Lower Adirondack Regional Center for History receives monetary support, as do the Knights of Columbus. And every year, Kiwanis members visit both nursing homes in town for an ice cream social, an event the residents enjoy and is supported by Stewart's Shoppes with ice cream donations to make the visits possible. "Stewart's has been very good to us," Schaffer said. "For the last three years, they have given us a matching grant. That has been a huge help to us in terms of making our budget." This year, the Ti Kiwanis Club received a $1,4500 donation from the Stewart's Holiday Match Grant. In order to supplement their yearly budget, the Kiwanis hold yearly fundraisers, their largest being the Duck Drop every summer during the Car Show in Bicentennial Park. "1,100-1,200 plastic ducks are purchased and stuffed into Tom Dedrick's bucket truck and dropped from 50 feet in the air onto a bullseye," Schaffer explained. "Whichever duck is closest to the center wins. There is a first, second, and third prize, and also a booby prize for the duck furthest from its designated target. That winner earns a lunch at Hot Biscuit and receives a token gift. We are trying to think outside the box to come up with unique ideas." One new idea is the upcoming garage sale later this year, a first for the Kiwanis, that will be held at member Mary Cunningham's home on Route 9N. Trivia nights at the Hot Biscuit have also been successful, the next coming up on Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. The Kiwanis annual Chicken Barbecue at the Knights of Columbus is held every September. The Ticonderoga Kiwanis Scholarship Fund awards three scholarships every June in the area for young adults pursuing further education at a college or a trade school, two for Ti High graduating seniors and one for a Crown Point graduate "These awards are some of the biggest in the Ticonderoga system," Schaffer said. "Recipients are determined by the school's administration for whomever they feel is the most worthy and deserving." Like its parent club, the Key Club is also extremely active within Ti High School. Designed for high school students who are interested in service work, the Key Club has turned out two leaders in the last five years who went on to become the Key Club Lieutenant Governors. Key Club members are always on hand during the Holiday Senior Luncheon in December that Kiwanis sponsors. Ti Kiwanis meet every first and third Thursday of the month at the Hot Biscuit Diner on Montcalm Street. Anyone interested in learning more about Kiwanis membership is encouraged to contact Schaffer at tschaffe7@gmail.com. To register a four-person team ($50 per person) for the upcoming Kiwanis trivia, please contact member Robin Hearburg at hearburgs@yahoo.com or by calling or texting her at 518-339-2647. Registration begins at 5 p.m., with a full buffet dinner following at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. game time.

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Ti Kiwanis continue good work for area children

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