KELLOGG — “How do the Kiwanis help the Silver Valley?”

Kiwanis Club of the Silver Valley board member Braden Thomas posed and answered this question at Thursday’s meet and greet at the Shoshone Golf Club.

Thomas gave an impassioned speech about what precisely this group does and why it’s essential for the youth of the Silver Valley.

“Kiwanis International tackles bigger projects, like fighting disease, poverty and getting people drinking water,” Thomas said. “We are part of a smaller organization that strictly works on benefiting the Silver Valley.”

Kiwanis Club currently has many events and fundraisers that it works on throughout the year to benefit the local community.

The Silver Valley Snack Pak is supported, a charity program that supplies students who need assistance with food over the weekend and longer holidays.

“These students go out to recess, and come back in with a backpack full of food. We are so happy we can do this, and in the future we would like to do more.”

The Kiwanis Club also works with local schools to provide children with weather-appropriate clothing. Every elementary school in the valley has a list of students who need assistance and what type of clothing they may need.

The club works closely with the Silver Valley Sheriff’s Office for No Shave November and Shop with a Cop. No-Shave November is a program that raises money for families in financial need to help assist with bill payments, so they have money to provide their families with gifts for Christmas.

Shop with a Cop is when money is provided to kids who can go to different stores with a police officer and buy their parents and siblings a Christmas gift.

Student scholarships and teacher grants are also available from the club.

“We had a teacher at Pinehurst Elementary School that started a Rubik's Cube club. He saw a YouTube video about how beneficial it is for children to learn how to solve a Rubik's Cube. It creates challenges, helps with problem solving skills and assists developmental growth,” Thomas said. “He applied for the grant, taught himself how to solve the cube, and then he bought professional grade Rubik's Cubes, bought specialized mats and now he has a group of students that stays after school working on who can solve it the quickest.”

The club has a few fundraisers planned for the rest of the year, looking toward future events including the Beer and Browse Vendor Fair, an outdoor marketplace with the ability to shop with a drink in hand, in Smelterville on June 11 and 12; The Pancake Breakfast will be held in Wallace during the Blues Festival on July 10; The Annual Chili Feed will be held at the Pinehurst Christmas Festival, with the date to be determined later.

The Kiwanis Club is always looking for new members. Meetings are held once a week Tuesdays at Noah’s Canteen.