The Otisville K-Kids Club has been named a 2023-24 “Distinguished Club,” and is only one of two New York State schools to be awarded such an honor.
The Distinguished Club Award recognizes individual Key Clubs for their overall performance in the combined areas of club administration, membership and leadership development, Kiwanis family involvement, service, and fundraising as judged against a pre-established standard of excellence.
“This was the first full year the K-Kids of Otisville have been back in action since before the pandemic, and I’ve never seen a more enthusiastic and committed group of children,” said Andrea Yager, who is a Kiwanis liaison along with “Witnessing their many amazing ideas about serving their school and community and implementing them is refreshing. They will make amazing, compassionate, and driven leaders in the future, wherever life takes them.”
The group’s 2023-24 service projects were:
Treats for Troops
Free Little Library (located outside of Otisville Elementary School)
Souper Seniors (homemade cards and soup donations to local senior citizens)
Fundraising for “Room to Read” and the local Humane Society
Get well cards for patients at Garnet Medical Center
Teacher appreciation/recognition activities
Kindness/appreciation notes to peers
Playground rules signs for Otisville Elementary playgrounds (signs donated by Chris Lewis from Lewis Sign Company)
“The K-Kids of Otisville were certainly busy this year meeting all of these important criteria which can be seen by the wonderful projects they completed for their community,” said advisor Danielle Ulbrich. “We are incredibly proud of our K-Kids for all their hard work, service and dedication. We are looking forward to seeing what projects they do next school year.”
K-Kids is a Kiwanis Service Leadership Program for primary/elementary school age students. Club members improve their schools and communities — an experience that helps them develop a passion to serve, a desire to lead and the ability to engage and collaborate with others.