Rose Float Decoration (December 29, 2009)
First off… Happy New Years!! (: For this annual project where members from both KIWIN’S and Key Club come together to help out, we surely brought more than enough volunteers. With the vast amount of volunteers, our members were jobless at one point or another. However, when help was asked, we excitedly lend a helping hand. Some were asked to carry Magnolia tree branches from inside the workshop to near the field located outside. Other members were assigned to cut various flowers that will eventually be placed onto the floats. After a couple of hours, we were kindly offered dinner which allowed our members to interact with other clubs. We diligently resumed working again when we were asked to help put the flowers onto the various floats. For the new members who never went to this yearly event, it was definitely a memorable moment!

Caroling for Cans (December 23, 2009)
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Since Christmas is coming up pretty soon, we decided that it would be a wonderful idea to go caroling for cans as a way to give back to the community. We all met up at the front office of our school and drove to a neighborhood in Fountain Valley. Before we started to do anything, our Spirit Chair, Christine Tran, filled everyone up with the holiday spirit by giving a heartwarming speech. After raising everyone’s spirit, our members went from house to house singing an assortment of classical Christmas carols such as; Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Our members felt extremely proud that night because they were able to witness the joyous smiles of every family we sang for and also at how generous people were since we collected quite a few cans.

JDRF Walk (November 8, 2009)
This annual walk at UCI is dedicated to help raise funds to cure diabetes. Before the walk began, we were asked to greet the walkers and showed them where the check-in tent was. A few minutes before the walk began we were driven to our post where we will stand to cheer on the walkers. We did our usual KIWIN’S cheers such as Keep It Up and Good Job. Surprisingly, our new members memorized the cheers and even cheered louder than a few of the old members. A couple of ladies were lost and our Historian kindly guided them back to the main area where the event was held. It was an exciting project as our members interacted with the walkers by giving hi-5s and encouraging them to keep walking.

Westminster Founder’s Day (October 24, 2009)
WOOOT! For the annual Westminster Founder’s Day, our members excitedly volunteered for the event hoping to be the chosen ones to carry the Kiwanis banner. When we arrived, Westminster Kiwanis chose four lucky members to have the honor of carrying the Kiwanis banner in the parade down Westminster Boulevard. On the other hand, the rest of our members helped at the Kiwanis booth. Along with Westminster Kiwanis, we sold hotdogs and drinks such as coke and water. We are really glad to be able to volunteer at this event since it brought us a lot closer to Kiwanis. Memory Walk Alzheimer Association (October 17, 2009)
Our members really enjoyed the previous Memory Walk event, so we decided to volunteer for their walk held at Cal State Fullerton. Due to the fact that we had many members who came out to volunteer, the coordinator had to split us up into four different groups. One group stayed at the Kid Zone area to make sure the children were playing safely in the jumper house and also to help the children with arts and crafts. The three other groups were assigned to stand at different locations of the route. Our job was to motivate the walkers by cheering them on. We definitely showed them the KIWIN’S spirit! (:

MS Bike Bay to Bay Tour (October 10, 2009)
This project was very important for our La Quinta KIWIN’S because it was the first event that our new members of the year volunteered for. When our members arrived, we were assigned to help pack the cases of water bottles on top of each other so they can load it onto the truck. They also needed some people to cheer, so some of our members went to the starting line to cheer the bikers. After packing the water bottles on top of each other, our members were asked to poor tubs full of ice onto the grass and wipe them dry. We were able to bond with the new members by having small talk with them while working. Thankfully, the members found the project very fun and thought what we volunteered for was meaningful.

OC Book Fair (October 4, 2009)
For this year’s annual OC Book Fair, we were asked to create a game for the children to play at. Our members decided that the ball toss game would be interesting and easy enough for the children. A few of our members helped set up the games by stacking up the plastic cups onto the table. The rest of our members made signs for our game booth. When we were done setting up, we assigned two members to give out tickets and the rest would restack the cups and catch the balls. Throughout the day, we would encourage children to play our game and we would constantly clap and cheer for them. Our members all agreed that the highlight of the project was seeing the children’s happy faces when they were able to knock down the cups!<3

Surf City Surf Dogs (September 12, 2009)
Surfing?! Dogs?! Who would’ve thought that those two words would go together, but there is such a thing! On the 12th, La Quinta KIWIN’S volunteered to help teach dogs how to surf. Before the dog can go into the water, our members were told to carry the dog that’s already on the surfboard and create a wave like feeling so it can get used to feeling. After the beginning process, about four of us slowly brought the dog into the ocean buy holding onto the sides of the surfboard. When we were deep enough, we would wait for the perfect timing and let the dog ride the waves! There were some dogs that really looked like professional surfers while others need a bit more training. It was absolutely a fun project since we were able to help the dogs learn how to surf.

Huntington Valley Boys and Girls Club: Packing Backpacks (September 8, 2009)
Since school is starting soon, our members went to Huntington Valley Boys and Girls Club to help pack backpacks for children who can’t afford school supplies. There weren’t that much space inside the room so we decided to split up the tasks. Some of our members were in charge of putting notebooks, papers, folders, and glue into the backpacks. Then the backpacks were handed to the other members who were in charge of putting in pencils, erasers, and pens. Next, the backpacks were handed to the members who put in other various school supplies that are necessary for a regular school day. We continued this process until all the backpacks were packed, however, after finishing all the backpacks we realized that there were still a lot of school supplies left. So our members were told to repack all the backpacks until there were no more school supplies left. This project really means a lot because community service is all about helping those less fortunate and to have a great education you obviously need your tools.

Freeze to Move (August 29, 2009)
FREEEEEZE!! Our members arrived at Brea Mall a bit early; therefore we decided to help pass out stickers and treasure maps in front of Macy’s, JC Penny, and Nordstrom until our shift began. To raise awareness for Alzheimer, we were told to freeze for 70 seconds since every 70 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease. We began our adventure for the day by freezing on a small stage. Then, our President led us to different areas of the mall while we froze every 15 minutes. Some of our members held up poster boards with facts about Alzheimer; others held pamphlets and stickers. This project was the highlight of August because not only were we able to spread awareness about Alzheimer, we were able to bond by freezing as a group at a crowded mall.

Westminster Relay for Life (August 8, 2009)
To start off the month with something meaningful, we volunteered at the Kiwanis tent for Westminster Relay for Life. Basically we were assigned to assist the children at the arts and crafts area. We made sure that they knew where the markers, glitter, and other artsy necessities were placed. Some of our members helped the children glue things together. While two of our members sat at the candy area to ensure that the children didn’t create a mess or waste the candy. Seeing the children leave with satisfied looks on their faces really made our day!

Boys and Girls Club of Fountain Valley (July 29, 2009)
Our members felt like business interns as they stuffed envelopes with brochures and newspapers. By doing this, people can get updated on upcoming events for Boys and Girls Club. After our shift was done, we were asked if we could stay a bit longer to help them redistribute each newsletter with a money envelope since they forgot to include it at the beginning.

Safety Day (July 22, 2009)
Although we didn’t have another earthquake at this annual event like last year, it was still “ground-shaking” when the helicopter landed for one of the demonstrations that day. Safety Day was hosted by the city of Westminster to teach children how to be safe at a young age. Our members were assigned to put together hot dogs and wrapped them for the children who were attending the event. Even though we were not the ones doing the demonstrations, we at least contributed by providing hot dogs to give them energy. We’re really glad to be able to participate in such a meaningful event dedicated to educating the young and preserving their future!

Garden Grove Relay for Life (July 18-19, 2009)
Unfortunately, we got a little lost before we found the event entrance, however, we were able to find it just in time! (: A few of our members put helium into specially made balloons with the Garden Grove Relay for Life logo that were tied around the track. After that, they were assigned to set up chairs and tables for the survivors. While some of us went to the freezer to get a couple of 24pack water bottles for the runners and volunteers to drink. As our tasks were done, we gathered around the stage as speeches and announcements were read. When the announcements and speeches were done, the survivors ran/walked their first lap around the track while we cheered and ran side by side with them.

Rebuilding Together (July 13, 2009)
This project was one of the most meaningful events we volunteered at. Many elderly citizens who live at Orange Village Mobile Home Park do not have the strength to repaint their mobile homes or repair any broken pipes. Our members started off by making a border around the windows and doors with masking tapes. We then painted the mobile homes with the designated paints and used a different colored paint for the bottom. Even though we weren’t able to finish painting the mobile homes, we got the majority of the homes painted!

Book Doctor (July 11, 2009)
Books! Books! Books! To start off the month of July, we volunteered at an event dedicated to the children of the world! Before we began cleaning, the coordinator of the project gave us a few tips on how to successfully sanitize the donated books. Not only did we have to clean the books with Clorox Wipes, but we had to “throw out” books with vulgar languages, religious holidays and beliefs, and books that are too worn out to be fixed. Together as a team, we cleaned almost 1,000 books at the end of the day!

The Nursing Home (June 27, 2009)
Lets just say this project was EXTREMELY far away, but it was worth the distance. We were told to engage in conversations with the elderly since some of them rarely get any visitors. Everyone started off by walking up and introducing themselves to the seniors. As we began bonding, we had the opportunity to hear about the amazing adventures they experienced. Later on, we began playing bingo and throughout the game, we assisted the elderly by placing the bingo chips on the bingo cards as the numbers were being called out. Each volunteer would do a little cheer for the senior he/she was assisting if that senior got the number that was called out. Overall, this project helped the younger generation build a tighter bond with the older generation.

Beach Clean Up (June 20, 2009)
To start off the summer, we decided to have a beach clean up at Huntington Beach. Our members were each given a bag and some gloves as we signed in at the volunteer booth. They were asked to walk around the entire beach and pick up any trash they saw. Also, we picked up materials that seemed to be harmful to those who visit to the beach and the beach environment. The event coordinator made the beach clean up more exciting by offering prizes to the most unique item found and other various objects on the list such as; ball, wood, and bottle! We look forward to more beach clean ups during the summer.

FV Summer Fest (June 12, 2009)
On June 12th, a few of our members went to the FV Recreation Center where the event was held. Our members were split into two groups. One group was sent to assist Mr. Golden at the Kiwanis tent by serving delicious hotdogs and thirst quenching drinks to the people. We had to make tons of hotdogs by placing the hotdogs into the buns and then handing it to the costumers. The second group was asked to look over the trashcans by making sure the trash does not overflow and spill out of the trashcans. Overall, we were glad that the carnival went smoothly as planned and everyone had a wonderful time.

Ethan Allen Fun Fair (June 5, 2009)
Ethan Allen Fun Fair is the most anticipated event of the month of June since La Quinta KIWIN’S always attends this annual event. Our members were split into groups of three where each group was assigned to a game station. We were given each a wristband to indicate that we were volunteers and tickets for the games. There were various games such as; Bean Bag Toss, Tic-Tac-Toe, Hula Hoop Toss, and Sponge Throw. At the sponge throwing booth, one of our members even offered to be sponged just so the game could be more exciting; what a true KIWIN’S trooper! In the end, everyone enjoyed this project very much because it made them feel like they were in elementary again seeing all these little children running around.

Fountain Valley Relay for Life (May 30, 2009)
We started off the day by making cardboard trashcans and covering them with trash bags. Two of our members swept the sand away from the pathway where people entered while a few of our members were asked to cover the tables with table clothes and tape them down to last for 24 hours. Four of us were sent to put water into two trays so the food would be warm for a long period of time. After finishing those tasks, we filled purple and white balloons with helium to tie around the canopies and carried sodas from the cart into the tent. As the strong cancer survivors began to walk, we screamed and cheered them on while handing each walker a white balloon so they can release it at the same time after they finish walking a lap around the tracks.

AIDS Walk (May 16, 2009)
For this annual event held at the Angel’s Stadium, a large number of members from our club came out to support the people who were walking. Our members were assigned to Cheer Station 3 where we decided to split into two groups of 25 so we can spread out on each side of the route. A few of us held up signs that said, “Thanks Walkers!” “GOOD JOB!” and “Keep it up!” while the majority held water bottles for the walkers. As they passed by, we showed them our KIWIN’S spirit as our chants and cheers could be heard miles away. Some of the walkers gave us high fives and cheered along with our members to show their appreciation towards the fact that we made the walk livelier than it already was.

CHOC Carnival (May 2, 2009)
Many of our members looked forward to this heartwarming event. When we arrived, we set up our Bean Bag Toss game at our assigned booth. While a few of our members looked after the game booth, the rest of us were paired up and assigned a child to escort around the carnival. We were basically guides for the day as we walked around the carnival with the children, stopping by at the games they wish to play. There were many games and activities such as bean bag toss, sponge throwing, balloon popping, tic-tac-toe, fake tattoos, face painting, and other various games. Everyone had a blast hanging out with these wonderful kids and we were really glad we had a chance to brighten the day for these children.