Spring Valley EDA News
Halloween sweets ‘n’ treats for kiddos in Wykoff, Spring Valley
Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 27, 2022. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go BUMP! in the night, good Lord deliver us!
BUT…
For little ones, tall ones, drooly ones, squawky ones, shy ones and loud ones, it’s TIME. The WAIT is OVER. From door to door they travel, seeking a treat plopped neatly into their bag or bucket. The moon may be high and small in the sky like a pearl, or it may be low and big-bellied, but the mission tonight and the next night of festivities are clear: GET. CANDY.
That’s why Kingsland Community Education, the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club and the Wykoff Fire Department have all chosen to don costumes and welcome children to their respective Halloween parties, where they’ll gather a little fright here, a little sweet morsel there, and Friday and Monday nights are happier occasions than all the nights before because there are PARTIES.
First, Kingsland Community Education and Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) will host its annual Halloween party at the Wykoff Community Hall on Friday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., after which Monday’s the evening of even more events as the Wykoff Fire Department welcomes costumed kiddos to the fire hall to choose a candy or two and become acquainted with the town’s firefighters and their vehicles and gear.
“The Wykoff Fire Department will be handing out treats to the kiddos on Halloween at the fire station. Come to the fire station and meet and thank the firefighters who help protect us. They may even let you sit in the big fire truck,” shared an announcement on the Wykoff city newsletter that invites trick-or-treaters to stop in at the North Gold Street station on the 31st between 4 and 7 p.m.
Seven miles to the west, there’s another place for the little ones, big ones, tall ones, drooly ones, squawky ones and loud ones and their parents and guardians on Halloween night as the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club and the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce co-host the organizations’ yearly Halloween party and haunted house. Kiwanian Jay Webster outlined what’s planned for the evening, stating, “The party is October 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Spring Valley Community Center, and the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce helps sponsor. It is an enjoyable event for the kids and provides Halloween fun. It is part of the Kiwanis mission in ‘Serving the Children of the World,’ and we have help from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the VFW Auxiliary and the Kingsland Drama Club and Kingsland Key Club. The party is for ages 1 through 12 years old, and the kids will enjoy playing games, winning prizes, and receiving a treat bag. A treat bag will be given to each child for attending the Halloween party.”
Webster elaborated, “Plus, those daring enough have an opportunity to tour the Kingsland Drama Club and Kingsland Key Club haunted house. The haunted house is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Spring Valley Community Center, too. At the party, we enjoy the amazingly creative costumes and kids having fun, and we enjoy planning it for them. The Halloween party is a place to enjoy the wonderful costumes and a place for kids to participate in the various games and tour the haunted house…a safe place for kids to have fun, receive a treat bag, stay warm and be entertained on Halloween night. We hope to see everyone there.”
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
Forget ‘Where’s Waldo’ … many others are missing at SV Library!
Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 13, 2022. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
Fair warning: If one goes to the Spring Valley Public Library, Colleen or Linda may not be on the shelves, and James is circulating like crazy.
“Right now, we can’t keep Colleen Hoover or Linda Castillo on the shelves. We are ordering in as much as we can from other libraries, but we are seeing wait lists on both of those authors. William Kent Krueger came out with a new book in his Cork O’Connor series recently, too – he’s a local Minnesota favorite. And James Patterson continues to circulate like crazy. Gail Kittleson, our soon-to-be[1]visiting author’s books are also going out quite a bit,” stated Spring Valley Public Library (SVPL) Director Jenny Simon, summarizing the who’s who and who’s in or not at the library as of late–whether a patron will find Hoover’s, Castillo’s, Patter[1]son’s or Krueger’s books on the library’s shelves or simply on an interlibrary loan (ILL) waiting list.
Simon and SVPL staff spent the summer keeping books in the hands of the library’s youngest patrons through the work of the children’s summer reading program, and after taking a break in August and early September, she and SVPL’s library assistants have plenty to look forward to this fall, be it new or re-readable books arriving at the library or an author, such as Gail Kittleson, who wrote “Land That I Love: A Novel of the Texas Hill Country.”
Simon stated, “Gail Kittleson, a historical fiction author from Iowa, will be coming for an author talk about her book, ‘Land That I Love,’ that deals with World War II and love and loss, the racism and bigotry during times of war and still now. She will be confirming an exact date with us soon. We have a lot in the works, and dates are still being figured out for some, but what I do know is that we will be having some great programs coming up. The library will be hosting some seasonal in-house craft programs for different ages, run by library staff. The joy of working on a project alongside others is just what the season is about.”
She continued, “We will be advertising for sign-ups on the library’s website and social media soon. And attorney Shawn Vogt Sween is coming on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. to discuss estate planning, with a focus on parents; however, all are welcome to attend. We hope to attract parents who want to know more about the benefits of early estate planning, those who have been meaning to get to it but haven’t, and those who just need a refresher about it. Some sample topics covered will be wills, power of attorney, and medical power of attorney.”
“We still have a fall tiny art show on our list, but to make it happen the way we want to, we may push it back to spring,” Simon added, “And of course, our children’s story time is back on the first and third Friday of each month at 10:30 a.m. for the littles. Join us for stories and songs and a take-home craft.”
Fall brings a shift in how young patrons visit the library, and Simon and SVPL staff are prepared for their needs and interests, too. “We saw so many kids over the summer…it was wonderful. We had great attendance at our programs and activities. Kids are still coming in now with their families to continue to check out books, and soon we will have another picture scavenger hunt for them to do. The library has purchased a bunch of new board games, so we are excited to be able to offer the kids a chance to play them. We have new manga books in for the young adult crowd to explore and puzzles to do, places to do homework, and somewhere to sit and relax for a while after school.”
And to assist patrons who would like to try new activities, SVPL is “working on gathering items to offer a ‘library of things,’ … for patrons to borrow, [such as,] tennis rackets and balls, a disc golf set, board games, a mini popcorn machine, a Cricut, a Cuttlebug, stamps and more. We need to get things labeled, packaged, and borrower contracts drawn up. Details are still being determined as far as lending limits and locations, but we are very excited to offer this at the library.”
The director acknowledged that budgets for libraries everywhere have become squeaky tight, meaning that creativity gains priority. “The Spring Valley library, like most other libraries, is struggling to keep up with inflation and the rising costs of everything. As hard as we have been working to keep those issues from directly affecting our patrons, it is getting much harder. The library board and director will be working diligently to apply for grants to programs, using Southeast Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) vetted performers as much as we can, as they are paid for with Legacy funds, and using creative ways to get things done. We are always looking for people to offer a program or a story time. What is your skill? Is it something you can share with others? With our budget being tight, it’s so nice to find people who will share their talents with a group. We are always willing to help with supplies at reasonable costs. This fall, we would also love some help with raking our leaves once they fall, as that is something that we often don’t get done.”
She went on, “We also plan to hold some fundraisers at the library. That being said, we are beginning the 2023 year in deficit. The line items that increased for the library include personnel costs, property insurance, medical insurance and utilities. The line items we reduced were the DVD budget and the book budget by $500 each. Our primary book supplier, Baker and Taylor, was hit with ransomware in August and was shut down for over a month— that means we had a good streak without getting any new books in—and the new books are flowing again, but it just reiterates my stance that any book you haven’t read is a new book to you. We are left with little where else to cut but materials and hours. Opening on Saturdays for three hours is still a goal we are aiming for, but without additional funding, we will not be able to accomplish that.”
She remarked that the library has investments that will help bolster its finances and in turn shore up its services. “We want to remind our community that we are happy to accept monetary donations and memorials at the library, and we also have a SELCO Foundation account that can accept donations. Donations made directly to the library go into the budget revenue and are used for expenses related to running the library unless otherwise designated. Funds that are donated to the Spring Valley Public Library SELCO Foundation fund are completely separate from our general budget, and we have a lot more flexibility on how we use them. We withdraw money from that account for special programs, expenses that don’t fit the budget at the time, extras and specialty items. The Foundation account is made up solely of donations. Donations can be made to either or both accounts and are equally as important. If you have questions about where or how to donate to the library, please reach out to me.”
Furthermore, she stated, “We are going to be applying for a library construction grant through the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to repair the exterior of the building, windows and gutters, however, the funding for the grant was not ap[1]proved in the last legislative session, so we wait for the next.”
All is not gloomy, though, as Simon pointed out, “In good news, we are so thankful for the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club for raising funds for us to purchase a picnic table for outside the library. This has been a longtime dream of ours. The table will help with outdoor programs and give patrons who want to enjoy the nice weather a place to do so …” including pedal bikers who might stop to eat and refill their water. “The Kiwanis Club is a very strong supporter of children and books, so the library is very thankful to have their help. They have donated hundreds of books to the library over the years and continue to do so.”
Simon listed the services that SVPL has to offer its patrons and visitors. “The library has free Wi-Fi access from the parking lot 24/7. We offer free Wi-Fi inside, or desktop computers for patrons to use. We have four computers available for patron use. Copies, faxes and printing can be done for a small fee, and scanning is always free. Many people are enjoying our services of being able to print directly from their wireless device or phone to our copy machine. On our website, www.springvalley.lib.mn.us under ‘resources,’ there is a plethora of information that patrons may find useful…everything from information on the food shelf and senior housing to MNSpin, which is streamable music from Minnesota artists. We also have an app for SELCO libraries that makes it so much easier to manage and order your library items. You can find and add the app by searching ‘SELCO Libraries’ in your app store. And we have a large conference room that is available for meetings for our community. There is no charge to use the room for non-profits and community clubs. There is a small kitchen attached with a sink available to use as well. Always be sure to give us a call first to reserve it, as the room is used during various times during the day and evening.”
The library is a community center in its own right, according to Simon, and that means that patrons’ comfort is a top consideration. “Most of all, we want the library to be a place where people come together, where everyone feels welcome, and where people can find answers and help with things they need. We are always looking for ways to expand services that are within our means,” and she encouraged those without a library card to stop in and check out the library. “You might be very surprised at all we offer.”
Now, the hard part…getting Colleen, Linda, William and James to stay on the shelves.
The Spring Valley Public Library is located at 121 W. Jefferson St., Spring Valley, and its hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Fridays and from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. For more information, call 507-346-2100, e-mail sv_dir@selco.info, or log onto the library’s Facebook page.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
Spring Valley Kiwanis name Citizens of the Year
Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 13, 2022. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
Here’s the dirt on Joe and Patty O’Connell: They’re the citizens of 2022, even if it’s an award for older people.
“It’s exciting to be honored as the Kiwanis Citizens of the Year. We always thought it was for older people, so I told my husband, ‘We’re older people now,’” quipped Spring Valley resident Patty, speaking of the upcoming recognition that she and her husband, Joe, co-owners of O’Connell Excavating and Snow Removal, will receive after being chosen as recipients of the 2022 Spring Valley Kiwanis Club Citizens of the Year Award, for which a reception will be held this Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Spring Valley Community Center.
A notice issued by the Kiwanis Club confirmed that they are indeed the 2022 recipients of an award for which they will never be quite old enough. It shared, “The Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley has selected Patty and Joe O’Connell as the 2022 Spring Valley Citizens of the Year. Kiwanis Club President Dave Phillips said many great nominations were submitted but that Patty and Joe stood out to the Kiwanis board because of their long service to the community. Patty and Joe will be recognized by the Kiwanis Club on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Spring Valley Community Center. There will be a public open house from 1 to 3 p.m., with a program highlighting their selection as the 2022 Citizens of the Year at 1:30 p.m. Kiwanis International is a world-wide service organization with a guiding principle of ‘improving the world one child and one community at a time.’ As such, the public has traditionally donated money to the club in honor of the selected Citizen of the Year to be used for the club’s annual Citizen of the Year Scholarship, which is given to a graduating Kingsland senior.”
Patty served as the family’s spokesperson as she shared that she and Joe grew up in the Spring Valley-Wykoff area – she in Wykoff and Joe Spring Valley since he was a very small child. “We got married in 1984, and we have four children, Alicia, John, Jason and Tommy. Joe and his two brothers bought out his dad and mom’s business in 1992. My husband worked different jobs until his dad had to sell because his emphysema was too bad, and that’s when Joe and his brothers bought him out. I work at Mayo Clinic, and I’ve been on the Spring Valley Ambulance Service since 2006.”
She continued, “We like to spend our spare time bowling, snowmobiling, riding ATV and motorcycle. We’ve been snowmobile instructors since 1995, and we and a bunch of other people started a snowmobile group. We’ve been on the Spring Valley Ag Days Committee, we’ve been part of the Kingsland booster club, Kiwanis, the Spring Valley Sportsmen’s Club, and Joe does just about anything…if there’s a fire and the firemen need somebody to tear apart a building, he’s always helped with that, so the firemen and the sheriff know that if they need somebody, they can call Joe. He’s always helped out – the community’s small enough that they know they can call him. It’s fulfilling for us to help the community.” She added, “We help at the VFW because we’re with the patriotic guard, so every Memorial Day, we stand guard at the cemetery while people come in.”
Perhaps three of the more visible investments that the O’Connells have made in the community’s youngsters are the couple’s donations of sandpiles for coin finds and the joy of digging in the dirt and of toy dump trucks for drawing prizes, as they shared before the 2019 Spring Valley Ag Days celebration, and their devotion to assisting with the Ag Days Soapbox Derby and the Fins and Films Cratebox Derby. At that time, she said, “I think it’s been about 10 or 12 years, but I’m not exactly sure when we started. When they started the Soapbox Derby, we put an O’Connell car in it and I saw that there were kids who were 6 and 7 years old in the Soapbox Derby, but there were all the little kids sitting around, and I was also on the Ag Days Committee, so I brought it up to them.” She continued, “The year after that, we started giving away a dump truck. We started out with the sand pile at Spring Creek Park, but with everything going on up at South Park, we moved it up there. The softball players and the people watching the games had all these young kids close enough for parents to watch them during the softball games. There are a few construction toys in it – a skid loader, an excavator – so that kids get a chance to sit there in the sand and play. People have asked why we don’t put money in it, but then the older kids would want to dig in it. We have a sign that says the sandpile is for kids of any age, and we’ve even seen adults digging around in it. ‘No cost’ is what we wanted, because everything else now costs money. This is the only thing left…the swing sets and the sandbox. We make sure that the sand is fresh on Thursday night for Ag Days, before we get busy with other community events. It’s for the joy of the kids.” The
O’Connell toy truck giveaway was begun shortly thereafter, as the O’Connells have felt that the drawing, done by tickets given to children under 12 years old, is important. “It is for the community. We’ve done this for Ostrander, Fountain and Wykoff, too, but Grand Meadow always does their own, but we do this for communities that ask for it. In other towns, we give away one truck, but in Spring Valley, we give away two to three items, and we have tickets for anybody under age 12. They get to have a ticket, and they have to be there for the drawing. The drawing is held in South Park by the sandpile, at 3 to 3:30 on Saturday, right where the sandbox is, and the small item is picked first, usually a pickup and trailer. The truck is the grand prize, and it always has ‘O’Connell’s Excavating’ on it because we have Jayson Smith put it on the truck. We do it then because we also have to help set up the dance, put up the stage for the dance.”
Ultimately, even though the couple is not quite “old enough” yet to be chosen as the Kiwanis Club’s Citizen of the Year Award, they look forward to the reception and hearing what their family and friends have to say about their service to Spring Valley and the surrounding area as people who meet the Kiwanis International guiding principle of “improving the world, one child and one community at a time.”
Again, the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club will honor Joe and Patty O’Connell on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. with a reception and program. The reception will begin at 1 p.m., and the program, featuring speakers who will share about the O’Connells’ contributions to the community, will start at 1:30 p.m. and last until approximately 3 p.m. All proceeds from gifts given at the reception will benefit the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club’s senior scholarships, providing funds for students to pursue postsecondary education after graduation.
Phillips pointed out that “donations this year may be brought to the community Center on Oct. 16 or sent to the Kiwanis
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
Valley Transportation hauls relief items to Florida ~ Delivering donations from area residents, businesses
Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 13, 2022. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
“It is devastating and unbelievable. It is heartbreaking to see all the homes just gone and the loss of life. It’s hard to watch the news and not want to do something to help. We wanted to come up with a way to help the people of Florida, as we have drivers that are from that area, and we saw the devastation and knew we had to help out…so we thought what better way than to load up one of our 53-foot van trailers with donations and take down to Florida to help out,” explained Valley Transportation Dispatch Manager Tyler Schiltz. He elaborated on the recent “Fill a Trailer for Florida” effort to collect and deliver relief items to residents of Fort Myers, Fla., following the destruction left by Hurricane Ian’s landfall at the end of September and early October.
Schiltz outlined how the Grand Meadow trucking company determined that it had the most fitting resources to uplift people whose lives have been washed away by the behemoth storm, posting notices of a collection to gather bottled water, clothing, shoes, toiletries, cleaning supplies, dog and cat food, coolers, storage containers, shovels, non-perishable food items, bedding and blankets between Oct. 3 and Oct. 8 to benefit people who just days before had had all that they needed to be comfortable.
“We believe that by having the resources to help out, we were able to engage in the community to donate as much as we could and haul one larger trailer to the area of need and collect more items than if someone had a smaller trailer to help. We also have people that have ties to the area affected, and they are able to help coordinate from that end. We are choosing the Fort Myers area because that is the hardest hit. We are currently working on a plan of exactly where the trailer will be getting unloaded.”
Word of the relief mission traveled quickly, and people showed their generosity as they learned of the means by which to give of their own fortune across the miles. Schiltz commented that the number of organizations, individuals and businesses that have lent their aid number beyond what he can count–including employees of Spring Valley’s Dollar General, who took it upon themselves independently to round up needed items—but he listed some, saying, “Kingsland Public Schools, Hayfield Schools, Grand Meadow Schools, the RCTC Nursing Program, Evangel Methodist in Rochester, Rock Road Bandits, area dentist offices, Kwik Trip in Spring Valley, the Grand Meadow License Bureau…I am sure I am missing some, as there have been many people collecting items and dropping them off.”
The manager related that the trailer is not quite full, but every little thing helps ease distress when there remains nothing of someone’s home or business.
“Currently it is half full, but we know it will end up being a full trailer, as most people have said they will be dropping off Saturday morning. There is also more that will come in that is being dropped off at Kingsland’s school, Hayfield Elementary School, and Grand Meadow School. When this was first thought of, we didn’t expect the outpouring of support that we are seeing. It is absolutely amazing to see everyone stopping by and all the local schools getting involved to help. It shows how great this area of Minnesota is, and when something happens, we step up and do our part to help out. Currently, if this trailer gets completely filled, we may have another one, and if so, we will announce at that time, but logistically, the hardest part is not knowing what donations will be coming and how to pack the trailer so everything inside is safe and secure. Since we are an over-the-road carrier and run 48 states, it makes it easier to pick out a driver who would not be just a local driver and who has time to do this.” Schiltz added that the opportunity to do something of this magnitude is “great.”
“While this is not the type of freight we want to haul–as no one wants to experience this type of destruction–it is nice that we have the means and ability to help out in time of need.” He continued, “Since our van fleet has started, this is the first load we have ever done like this. We have hauled equipment into relief areas for other disasters, but never a donation drive like this. When local disasters such as the Taopi tornado happened, we made donations to fundraisers in an effort to help out. We hope this will make a huge impact to the people that have lost everything. Unfortunately, the loss of life can never be replaced, and that is the saddest part of this whole thing, but we hope that by bringing what we have collected, it will help people get through this horrible event.”
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
New officers installed in SV Kiwanis Club ~ Longtime members acknowledged
Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 6, 2022. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
“Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.” So, believe the members of Kiwanis International right here in Hometown Minnesota, Spring Valley, though they do have a village within a village.
“It takes a village to raise a child,’” quoted outgoing Spring Valley Kiwanis Club President Paula Ruesink, addressing the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club’s members gathered before her last Wednesday evening during the club’s annual meeting. Held at Some Like It Hot Cakes & Catering in downtown Spring Valley, the event is meant to honor members and recognize the club’s accomplishments of the past year and goals for the coming year.
Ruesink went on to cite that her father, the late Ray Beving, was a Kiwanian for as long as she could remember and that “my dad loved children,” as evidenced by his dedication to anything that had to do with Kiwanis’s mission to support children, be they in a village around the world or right here in Spring Valley and its surrounding area, and by his work to refurbish toys and collect new ones in the former Masonic Lodge building just off Highway 63. She pointed out that she waited for years to be able to become a Kiwanian and that when the opportunity presented itself, she took it proudly because she witnessed how Beving carried the responsibility and wore the Kiwanis pin to share about his membership with people he met along the way. “I’m wearing my Kiwanis pin tonight, but I’m also wearing my dad’s Kiwanis pins… we are Kiwanians…we should be proud of our community.”
As president, her year in that office was ending, and she therefore was to invite longtime Kiwanian David Phillips to be installed as the local club’s new president. Former Spring Valley Kiwanis Club member Jack Zierdt, who served as Spring Valley’s elementary principal and who is now a member of a Rochester Kiwanis club, represented the MN-DAK Kiwanis district as he stood to place a president’s pin on Phillips’s lapel.
Zierdt said, “Greetings from the district and the district education foundation. I bring an award for a Century Club membership for this past 2021-2022 year. I’m pleased to say how I’m starting 52 years of membership, and those were very good years in Kiwanis. Many of those were right here in this club. It’s always a pleasure to come back and introduce your new officers.”
New officers are Phillips, Denis Cornell as secretary, Tyler Himle as treasurer, and Ruesink as immediate past president. The new board of directors includes Jay Webster, Rita Bezdicek, Gene Halverson, Sharon Jahn, Mark Woodward and Pam Phillips. Outgoing board members are Rita Hartert and Kelly Nelson. The 2022-2023 Kingsland Key Club advisors are Kiwanians Mark Marburger and Pam Phillips, and Key Club student officers are President Josh Meskill, Vice President Jenna Stearns, Secretary Reilly Lawson, Treasurer Anika Reiland, and Lily Freet, editor and publicist. The Key Club’s faculty advisor is Aaron Thauwald. Also, members were recognized for their years of service during the evening’s proceedings, including Red Essig’s 39 years, Hartert’s 21 years, Jim Hindt’s 26 years, Bill Rowen and Penny Solberg for their respective two decades, Marburger for his quarter-century, Jahn for her 29 years, Bill Mettler for 28 years of membership, Phillips for his 34 years of membership, and Jeffrey Thauwald is rounding out an admirable 44 years as a Kiwanian
The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club “was chartered in 1939 and has a long history of service.” Its committees include administration and policy, budget and finance, community service, human and spiritual aims, membership growth and education, Young Children Priority One, and youth services and sponsored youth. Its service projects number high and include the high school Kiwanis Academic Students of the Month; college scholarships; sponsoring Key Club; participating in the annual Read Around the World classroom reading event; contributing to Food for Kidz, observing Faith Recognition Day and Farmer Recognition Day; offering the Handy Man Assistance program; honoring a local resident as the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club Citizen of the Year; hosting or assisting with the Spring Valley Ag Days celebration and community Halloween party; compiling gifts for Christmas in Fillmore County; ringing bells for the Salvation Army; lending a hand with Supper with Santa during Christmas on Historic Broadway, participating in the MN-DAK book project; honoring cancer patients and loved ones with the Love Lights a Tree Christmas luminarias; raising awareness and contributing food items to the Kingsland Backpack Food Program; holding a cancer telethon breakfast to benefit the Eagles’ Cancer Telethon each January, and joining in numerous community projects. The club raises funds through its annual rose sales to benefit college scholarships, its Ag Days breakfast served with the Spring Valley American Legion Auxiliary, and through its Four Daughters soup supper that garners monies for Food for Kidz.
The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club meets on Wednesdays at noon at the Spring Valley Community Center in downtown Spring Valley. New members are always welcome to join.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
