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Foundation’s gifts continue to grow

Sometimes a gift can beget gifts that are even greater than originally conceived.

TOP: Aunt Laura’s Playground offers fun equipment and facilitates reading groups for children in addition to parenting classes for adults. ABOVE: Kiwanis International Foundation Treasurer Jane Erickson visited the Jamaican sites of grant recipient projects bearing additional gifts for the children: the book Larry the Turtle.

Such is the case with Aunt Laura’s Playground in Hopewell, Jamaica.

In February of 2004, the Kiwanis International Foundation awarded US$15,000 to the Kiwanis Club of Hopewell to build a playground. Recently, foundation treasurer Jan Erickson was in Jamaica, and stopped by to see the results. What she found amazed her.

“Wow,” Jane says. “Our initial $15,000 grant for the playground equipment has really blossomed into something wonderful for the children and families in that part of Jamaica.

“Not only did I get to see the playground, but I got to meet Aunt Laura and hear the Kiwanis club’s plans for expanded use of the playground, such as reading groups for the children and parenting classes for the parents.”

Jane’s next stop was Kingston, Jamaica, where she visited sites of grants awarded to Circle K International, including the Circle K Club of the University of the West Indies-Mona, which was awarded $2,000 in June 2004.

“The first visit was to Gordon Town School, where the Circle K’ers actually built two classrooms. They did a marvelous job of construction and still work with the children on reading.”

Jane also toured the Early Stimulation program for children who have disabilities, a continuing project where Circle K’ers have cleaned the parking lot and surrounding areas, created a garden area, and painted.

The project had its start with Circle K’s Paradise Division was awarded a $5,000 foundation grant in January 2006.

“What a wonderful project,” Jane says. “And the director was very appreciative of what Circle K and the Kiwanis International Foundation has done for them.”