Service With a Smile: After 75 Years, Dexter Kiwanis Club Still Making a Difference

Joe Scheuring, a longtime member of the Dexter Kiwanis Club, has been volunteering for community projects for as far back as he can remember, and he's not the only one. The 23-member club, which was founded in 1937, celebrated its 75th anniversary on Tuesday.

"I've always been active in service activities, but the Kiwanis Club really stands out for me because it's about helping kids," he said. "To me it's a great feeling knowing that we can help kids both in Dexter and around the world."

Scheuring joined the club 13 years ago. Since then he's been involved with helping to install barbecue grills at , raising funds for community service scholarships for Dexter Community Schools, and selling tickets for the club's annual Dexter Daze $10,000 raffle, among other activities.

"A few years ago we helped raise money for UNICEF to help bring iodizing facilities to countries that didn't have iodine in their food, which can cause major health problems," he said. "That was probably one of the projects I am most proud of."

Recently, the Dexter Kiwanis Club provided assistance with replacing trees after the in March.

"We lost a lot of trees in the (Huron Farms) subdivision and along Baker Road. The Kiwanis Club used community service funds to buy and transplant trees for a community project," said Fred Model, who has been a member of the club for 35 years. "When you have a situation like the tornado, your neighbors all chip in to help."

That's just a few examples of the kind of service the Kiwanis Club is known for in Dexter, Scheuring said.

"Many residents have benefited unknowingly from the efforts of Dexter Kiwanis since labels were not placed on things such as the first football field for the high school," Medrano said. "More recently, residents may be aware of the dictionaries we provide to third-graders each year."

The club also puts on a Halloween party for area youth every year and sponsors the Dexter High School Key Club, a service organization for high school youth.

Founded in 1915 by a group of businessmen in Dexter under the leadership of Joseph Schnebelt, former owner of the , the club set out to "serve the children of the world and improve the quality of life worldwide," according to its mission statement.

"I think we've done a good a pretty decent job adhering to our mission," Medrano said.

While Tuesday's celebration featured representatives from several Washtenaw County Kiwanis Clubs, Scheuring said there's always room for more members in Dexter.

"The heart of Dexter is filled with propsective Kiwanians, but why don't we have more in the club? Dexter is known for neighbors helping neighbors, and that's what we do as members of Kiwanis," he said.

One reason could be that members must be invited to join the organization by a current member.

"I think having to be invited to join turns some people off to the whole concept of a service club," Scheuring said. "If anyone is interested, I encourage them to come to one of our meetings."

The club meets the first and third Monday at 6:30 p.m. at , 8260 Jackson Road.

Scheuring predicts a long future for the club.

"We're always looking for new projects," he said. "Just recently we began ramping up our fundraising to help combat neonatal tetanus. We're working with a five-year program to raise $110 million to produce tetanus vaccines for 61 million child-bearing women in 39 countries across the world. It's a huge undertaking, but it's something we're proud to be a part of."

For more information on the Dexter Kiwanis Club, call 734-480-1516.