Kiwanis Club of Brecksville has been serving children and supporting civic and charitable organizations in and around Brecksville and Broadview Heights for more than 75 years. We sponsor various youth clubs including Key Club, Builders Club, and K-Kids in the Brecksville and Broadview Heights school systems. Some of the more popular community events we organize are the Easter Egg Hunt, Santa Visits, Empty Bowls, Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra concert, and Trick or Trot (1 mile walk; 5K). We participate in the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank and Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringing. Brecksville Kiwanis supports Brecksville Pantry, Meals on Wheels, Brecksville/Broadview Heights students with $12,000 in college scholarships, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kids in Flight, and others as needed including Science Olympiad, Youth in Government, Special Education Departments in four schools. We have created 1000+ Easter baskets for northeast Ohio children at or near the poverty line, food to donate to food pantries, gifts for children in the hospital, and much, much more!
Meetings:
Brecksville Kiwanis Club meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings, at Christ the Redeemer at 9201 Brecksville Rd. Brecksville, Ohio 44141. Members and guests are welcome to participate and join our meetings at 6:30 p.m. Please contact us if you would like to attend one of our meetings.
Format for our general monthly meetings:
2nd Thursday – Board meeting
4th Thursday – Service Project
Please check our calendar for meetings and other information on our homepage.
Membership:
Are you looking for a place to volunteer and connect with your community? Is helping children a worthy cause to you? Would you like to be part of an international organization dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time? If so, Brecksville Kiwanis is for you! Our local club is made up of men and women of all ages, mostly residents and/or working professionals of Brecksville, Broadview Heights or a neighboring community. Annual membership dues of $163 give us an administrative budget we can count on each and every year to serve our community. A 50% discount is available for family members living at the same address. Come and get to know us at a meeting or service project! Email us today for more information!
Meetings:
Brecksville Kiwanis Club meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings, at Christ the Redeemer at 9201 Brecksville Rd. Brecksville, Ohio 44141. Members and guests are welcome to participate and join our meetings at 6:30 p.m. Please contact us if you would like to attend one of our meetings.
Format for our general monthly meetings:
2nd Thursday – Board meeting
4th Thursday – Service Project
Please check our calendar for meetings and other information on our homepage.
Membership:
Are you looking for a place to volunteer and connect with your community? Is helping children a worthy cause to you? Would you like to be part of an international organization dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time? If so, Brecksville Kiwanis is for you! Our local club is made up of men and women of all ages, mostly residents and/or working professionals of Brecksville, Broadview Heights or a neighboring community. Annual membership dues of $163 give us an administrative budget we can count on each and every year to serve our community. A 50% discount is available for family members living at the same address. Come and get to know us at a meeting or service project! Email us today for more information!
History:
World War II had just been concluded the preceding year, when the Kiwanis Club of Southeast Cleveland organized Brecksville Kiwanis on November 24, 1946. Brecksville was just a sleepy little town at the time with a population of 2,000. The first Kiwanis fund raiser was an Ox Roast and Horse Show on the town square on Labor Day weekend. The rains came. Net profits for the weekend totaled $158.57! The first Horse Show was held in 1949 at the old athletic field on Stadium Drive. A decision was made to move the show to the first Sunday in August and remained the major fundraiser for the club until 2019.
The club organized Kiwanis Clubs in North Royalton in 1951, Bath-Richfield in 1953, Seven Hills in 1961, Broadview Heights in 1965, Nordonia Hills in 2001, and Parma Morning Club in 2005. Key Clubs at the at BBHHS, Twinsburg High School and North Royalton High School and the Builders Club at the BBHMS remain active as part of the Kiwanis family in our area.
Early in the club's history a large parcel of land including a cabin on Parkview Road bordering on the Metropark property. The cabin was used by the Boy Scouts and other community groups for many years. In 1968 the property was sold to the Park District at a substantial profit to the club.
Fundraising by the Kiwanis Club over the years has totaled over $800,000. Throughout the history of the club, scholarships to graduating seniors has remained our major effort. Other funding recipients include the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, churches, relief funds in the city, Coats for Kids, Meals on Wheels and myriad other groups in the area. In 1976 as our Bicentennial project the club constructed a pavilion in what was then known as Nowaka Park on the site of Kids Place near the community center. The club received a Kiwanis International award for this effort.