Kiwanis Holiday Lights chosen to represent Kiwanis Minnesota-Dakotas District in International Signature Project Contest
Kiwanis Holiday Lights, a Signature Project of the Mankato Kiwanis Club, has been selected by the Kiwanis Minnesota-Dakotas District to represent the district in the 2017 Kiwanis International Signature Project Recognition Program and Contest. The Minnesota-Dakotas Signature Project submission will be considered for recognition with other submissions from a total of 53 districts worldwide. The Minnesota-Dakotas District of Kiwanis International has over 4,000 members that are part of 150 clubs across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota as well as Superior Wisconsin.
Signature Project awards will be presented at the 2017 Kiwanis International Convention in Paris, France this July. The top 10 finalists will be acknowledged at the convention and the top three (Gold, Silver and Bronze) will be recognized during a special awards luncheon at the convention.
By definition, a signature project is a service project, fundraiser or event that includes the following: Takes place annually or is recurring; enhances the Kiwanis brand; demonstrates significant impact on the community in terms of funds raised or children served and strengthens membership and partnership opportunities.
Kiwanis Holiday Lights is a project of the Mankato Kiwanis Club and 2017 will mark its sixth season. The annual event is presented by CHS and the Mankato Area Foundation. It is a free, nightly event celebrating the holiday season from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Visitors can walk or drive through lighted holiday displays featuring over 1.3 million colored LED lights and holiday-themed displays. Free-will donations are collected to help with event expenses and are also distributed to the nonprofit organizations who volunteer to help with the event. Nonperishable food items are also accepted each night of the event benefitting area food shelves.
Over the past five years over 600,000 people have attended Kiwanis Holiday Lights, 70.5 tons of food has been collected for area food shelves and $240,000 has been donated the nonprofit organizations that have provided volunteers.
About Kiwanis International:
Kiwanis is a global organization of member-volunteers who are dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. There are more than 300,000 Kiwanis members in more than 70 nations across the globe.
About the Mankato Kiwanis Club:
The Mankato Kiwanis Club was established in 1921 and meets at 12:05 pm each Monday at the City Center Hotel. There are approximately 120 club members who are involved in local service projects and events including: Kiwanis Holiday Lights, Thunder of Drums, Kiwanis Reading Oasis, highway clean-up and an annual Pancake Breakfast. The club presents several youth scholarships and awards throughout the year and also owns and operates Camp Patterson on Lake Washington. In addition, the Mankato Kiwanis Club sponsors youth clubs including: a Builders Club at Dakota Meadows and Prairie Winds Middle Schools, a Key Club at Loyola, Mankato West, Mankato East and Kato Charter High Schools, a Circle K Club at Minnesota State University, Mankato and an Aktion Club for individuals who live with a disability.
More information can be found at www.mankatokiwanis.org and www.kiwanisholidaylights.com.
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