At a time when membership in many service clubs across the country is thinning out, one Kennewick club is not only surviving, but thriving.

The Kiwanis Club of Kennewick boasts a hundred members and recently unveiled a project that has been in the works for three and a half years: a new playground at the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Kennewick Clubhouse.

The Kiwanis Club is dedicated to “serving the children of the world” through its over 7,000 adult clubs in 85 nations, according to a Kiwanis International fact sheet. 

In the past year, the club’s Kennewick branch gave over $50,000 in scholarships to local students going to college, raised $100,000 for B5’s new Community Learning Center and spent more than 500 hours tutoring students. 

Playground plans

The new playground was a feat costing more than a quarter of a million dollars, which the Kiwanians achieved through the help of a grant.

The idea was first brought up at a meeting of past presidents several years ago. But, like many other projects, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the playground discussions to a standstill.

Still, it was something the Kennewick Kiwanians wanted to do. After talking with a variety of groups to find land for the playground, the Kiwanis Club finally found the partner it needed in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties. 

The playground found its home at 910 W. Seventh Place, next to B5’s learning center. 

“This neighborhood is one of the most diverse neighborhoods here in Kennewick, and in Tri-Cities,” said Brian Ace, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, at the playground’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The location was a key factor in establishing the Kennewick clubhouse. “We wanted to serve kids, and serve those kids that need us most, and serve kids right where they’re at,” Ace said.

With the land taken care of, the Kiwanians began to plan the playground’s design. They learned about a grant through the state Senate and applied for it in hopes of receiving partial funding.

The full amount of the grant, $258,000, was approved last summer. “That was just fantastic,” said Amy Coffman, current president of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick. “All of a sudden, we didn’t have to spend two or three years fundraising, we could build the playground.”

Coffman was on the board when the playground project was initially approved. Because presidents of the Kiwanis Club serve yearlong terms, she’s seen the close of many projects that started before her presidency. 

“There have been so many things that were started before my year as president, it’s just been really cool to be the one that’s seen it finally happen,” she said. 

Amy Coffman, president of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick, recently cut the ribbon on the club's new playground.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Community engagement

The Kiwanis Club is actively engaged in Kennewick’s community, whether that means raising money or volunteering in a more hands-on way.

“Sometimes we’re not in a situation that we have extra money to donate but we have time to donate. Sometimes we have limited time, and we have limited funds, but we have leadership skills, and we have life experience and we’re able to share our life experience to help other people,” Coffman said.

Club members spend time tutoring children, serving dinners at Soul Soup, supporting local organizations like Grace Clinic, My Friends Place and Cork’s Place Kids Grief Center, and taking tickets at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo in their distinctive yellow vests.

About 10 years ago, the club “adopted” Amistad Elementary School, where members frequently volunteer. The Kiwanians have helped start a parent organization, served dinner during teacher conferences, sponsored a jog-a-thon and more.

This past year, about 12 to 15 club members worked on Team Read and “spent over 500 hours working one on one with kids that were behind in reading. And all of the kids showed significant improvement during the school year,” Coffman said.

Active membership

She attributes the Kiwanis Club’s strong membership and activity to belief in the club’s mission.

“We believe in what we do,” Coffman said. “…when you’re working towards something that you really believe in, you stay engaged and you want to keep helping, and you invite your friend to do it with you because you like how you feel while you’re serving.”

Many members of the Kiwanis Club are retired, but the president attests that they come from all walks of life. From teachers to former Kennewick officials, from eye doctors to attorneys, the club welcomes everyone.

Coffman herself balances her duties as president with her role as one of the owners of Mueller’s Funeral Home and a mother to three children.

The club members are united by “our belief that Kennewick is an amazing place to live,” Coffman said, “and our children are our future, and we need to do something to make sure that the kids have a good future.”

The Kiwanis Club of Kennewick also features a Young Professionals group to give younger members a chance to network and hear speakers on topics of interest.

“It was our Young Professional group that actually spearheaded a fundraiser last fall for the B5 Learning Center that raised over $100,000,” Coffman said. 

They took initiative and raffled off a car to raise the money. Along the way, many community members learned about B5’s work helping refugees. 

The work that the Young Professionals undertook is something that they can always be proud of, Coffman said. Her grandfather was a member of the Kiwanis Club, and she recalls his activities with the group.

“Many years ago, my grandpa was honored as the Kennewick Man of the Year,” Coffman said. “And when he accepted the award, he says, ‘No matter what your business is, we all need to serve our community.’ And I have taken that to heart that no matter what we do, we need to give back and we need to build.”

In the end, the Kiwanis Club is all about building community.

“We do small things. And we do big things. And there’s really something for everyone.”