Reading to Students

The Kiwanis Club of Bainbridge recently participated in the annual Read Around The World project. Some members of the Bainbridge Kiwanis Club went to the different elementary schools located around Bainbridge and read to the students.

The Read Around The World project runs between February 1 and March 3. Kiwanis clubs, Circle K clubs, and Key Clubs can embark on an exciting journey and celebrate the joys of reading with children. Kiwanians can provide reading activities, increase access to books, motivate, and inspire. Click here for more information.

2007 Kiwanis River Run (Bainbridge, GA)

The 10,000 meter run, which has been certified by USA Track and Field, is one of two events hosted by the Kiwanis Club. It has been selected as a Grand Prix run by the Tallahassee Gulf Winds Track Club in 2007. The two feature runs start and finish at the Earle May Boat Basin and take runners along the picturesque Flint River, through a campground, and along a paved, wooded nature trail. The 10K runners come off the nature trail and down the river road and get to experience the challenge of a very steep, although short, hill climb just past the four mile point before doubling back to the start/finish area. The Club had a total of 70 runners in our inaugural event in 2005 and has seen increased participation since that time.

Unique awards will be presented to overall winners, male and female, in both runs. Three deep awards will be given out to each of the age groups. Door prizes are randomly drawn from among participants.

Members of Bainbridge Kiwanis hold their regular Thursday meeting along with over 100 children of the Friendship House summer day camp. The Kiwanians participate with the kids in activities including a water balloon toss, an egg-in-spoon relay race, basketball, kickball, a dunking tub, and a giant moonwalk. Members also serve a picnic style lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks. The special two hour fellowship time is held to interact with the children who age from 4 years and up. Friendship House offers at-risk children free out-of-school activities and programs which are designed to guide them by teaching spiritual and social skills to become more productive members of society.

Bainbridge Kiwanis has been providing dictionaries to all 3rd grade children in Decatur County. Approximately 500 dictionaries are donated annually and distributed by the Kiwanians in conjunction with the Family Connection Collaborative, who coordinates the program.

A dictionary is given to all incoming third-graders at each public and private elementary school in Decatur County at the beginning of the school year. The goal of this project is to improve the reading ability and comprehension of children. It not only assists the children in using the English language more effectively, but it also assists teachers in making all students active readers, good writers, and creative thinkers.

The idea began in 1992 in Savannah, Georgia and has grown to a national program providing over 1.8 million dictionaries each year. Bainbridge Kiwanis is proud to be a part of such a rewarding program.

Each year the Kiwanis Club recognizes an outstanding student, and a teacher that the student chooses, from each of ten elementary and middle schools. The students, teachers, parents, and principal from each school are invited to a regular meeting of the club where the student and teacher are presented a certificate and gift in recognition of their outstanding work. They are also written up and a story appears in the local newspaper.