The Kiwanis Club of the Dillsburg Area was charged on August 20, 1993. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Harrisburg the club was built under the leadership of then Lt. Governor of Division 13 North J. Frederic Redslob. The charter was celebrated with the formal charter night on October 9, 1993 at the Monaghan Presbyterian Church under the helm of Pennsylvania District Governor Hugh Siggins, with 40 members joining the newly formed club, including three Kiwanians from other local clubs who provided the important seasoned leadership needed for the club to flourish. Those Kiwanians were George Wirt from the Upper Allen club, Paul Junkins and Bruce Barclay from the West Shore Club.
The first board was elected and consisted of: George Wirt- President; Paul Junkins- Vice President, Thom Crescenzi- Secretary, and Tina Beam- Treasurer. The Directors were Ronald Altland, Cheryl Biggs, Don Haines, Alyce Mehring, Lloyd Wagner and Larry Skinner.
During the first year the Northern York County High School Key Club was chartered, fulfilling the primary goal of the Club’s first year. The Club’s first fund raiser was to sell Apple Dumplings at the annual Community Farmers Fair weekend. We also, with the financial help of member Bruce Barclay, purchased 20 gumball and candy vending machines which were placed in businesses in the community. During the first year the Harrisburg Club provided an interclub of four or more of their members to each of the Dillsburg Club’s meetings. This support was instrumental in the success of the Club.
During the second year the Club sponsored two Northern York Baseball Association teams
In the 1995-96 year the Club built a TOT-Lot, in Logan Park, with the help of many community businesses and was awarded a Single Service award from Kiwanis International.
In the 1997-98 we began sponsoring a Community flower garden in front of the PNC bank at Baltimore Street and Route 15. It also sponsored and after Prom Party for Northern High School.
During the 1999-2000 year our club developed a project to purchase a Town Clock for Dillsburg. The project raised over $24,000 with the Club providing $2000 and other community organizations and businesses the balance.
In 2000 – 2001 the Club began support of New Hope Ministries and made major maintenance to the Tot Lot at Logan Park and supported the National “Soap –Box Derby” program buy holding an event in Dillsburg. The Club also began providing two $1000 scholarships to Northern High Key Club seniors.
The major project in 2001-2002 was to organize a community health fair. The fair was held successful and a second fair was held in 2003. A Builders Club was chartered at the Northern York County Middle School.
In 2002 -2003 the club started a new project to purchase books and read at the Wellsville Head Start, with member Larry Skinner building a book case for them to store the books on.
In 2003- 2004 began a campaign to collect books for local libraries and daycare centers. Continued the Health Fair and held Spring and Fall Prayer breakfasts. We also provided smoke detectors to all the Head Start families.
In the 2004-2005 a scholarship to a foreign student was established. Our annual golf fundraiser was begun, supported by both Cumberland County and Dillsburg Clubs. Our Club was visited by the Treasurer of the United States (Anna Escobedo Cabral). Our first K-Kids Club was organized at South Mountain Elementary school.
Our second K-Kids club was organized at Dillsburg Elementary School during the 2005-2006 year. We also had a major project to clean up Coover Park in Dillsburg by doing a riparian planting project. This year the club voted to stop our annual fundraiser at the community fair and rely on our Golf tournament and a new blueberry sale as our major fundraisers.
In 2006-2007 year we supported an orphanage in Bulgaria and began our annual blueberry fundraiser chaired by Gary Brown. The club began using the Kiwanis management system to make reports and keep track of newsletters and attendance.
During 2007-2008 we began support to the Dillsburg Relay for Life, a Challenger baseball team, and the Bulgarian orphanage. The Young Children Priority One committee began purchasing school supplies for children of New Hope Ministries’ clients.
2008-2009 major projects involved tutoring at the Middle school with the Key Club and building a Nature trail at Dillsburg Elementary. Gary and Tracy Grinnen enhanced the blueberry sales by establishing a computerized spread sheet of buyers complete with address, phone numbers, and emails.
2009-2010 a new project to collect diapers and wipes was started and provided over 8000 diapers for New Hope Ministries’ clients. The members also volunteered a local food banks and helped the Dairy association to make milkshakes during the Pennsylvania Farm Show week.
2010-2011 all our projects continued and a major project to take our sponsored Challenger baseball team and their parents to a Harrisburg Senators game was completed. Another project was to supply Easter eggs to an orphanage in Kiev. Fuel assistance for New Hope clients was also supported.
In 2011-2012 two members, Ralph Dillen and Randy Jackson, spearheaded a major service project to package 35,000 meals for “Kids against Hunger”. The project cost the club $8000 and was held as our Kiwanis One Day project in April. Members from all the clubs in 13North as well as Key Clubs assisted in the all-day project. Ninety Kiwanis family members took over 390 hours to complete the project.
In 2012 -2013 Kiwanis began a relationship with the Highmark Caring Place to educate Kiwanis members about children’s grief. The Highmark Caring place participated in all statewide conventions by manning a booth to provide resources and education. At the main District Convention in Gettysburg the Highmark Caring Place provided a specific training on children’s grief and was given the opportunity to present to the entire convention. Kiwanis provided a grant of $2,000 to the Highmark Caring Place which was matched dollar for dollar by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Members of the Dillsburg Kiwanis Club volunteered at the Highmark Caring Place Summer Picnic for grieving families and children.
During the 2013-2014 we realized our financial goal for our contributions to the Elimination of Maternal Neonatal Tetanus, a campaign that was started by the late Fred Redslob. With our contribution we were able to save over 14,365 lives. We teamed with local churches and businesses to help make the first Youth Impact Project in our area a success.
In 2015-2016, the Kiwanis Club of Dillsburg received a Pennsylvania Foundation grant, along wth the Kiwanis International Foundation grant to install a Kindergarten Playground at Dillsburg Elementary School. A K-Kids club was chartered at Wellsville Elementary School, the only district school building to yet have a Kiwanis family club. A new fundraiser was added this year, the Touch a Truck event. Children got to climb in and on various trucks from the community.
Past Presidents
George Wirt (1993-1994)
Paul Junkins (1994-1995)
Bob Roulston (1995-1996)
Lloyd Wagner (1996-1997)
Glenn Campbell (1997-1998)
Barbara Krall (1998-1999)
Jay Young (1999-2000)
Layton Shoemaker (2000-2001)
Paul Junkins (2001-2002)
Bobbie Shuey (2002-2003)
Don Haines (2003-2004)
Jerry Hess (2004-2005)
Keith Drahn (2005-2006)
Robert Terry (2006-2007)
George Wirt (2007-2008)
Gary Brown (2008-2009)
Tom Gruber (2009-2010)
Paul Junkins (2010-2011)
J Fredrick Redslob (2011-2012)
Deborah Coy-Kajic (2012-2013)
Carl Barker (2013-2014)
Dale Brubaker (2014-2015)
Emily Reed (2015-2016, 2016-2017)
Jim Spurrier (2017-2018, 2018-2019)
Emily Reed (2019-20, 2020-21)
Dillsburg Area Kiwanians serving the Pennsylvania District
George Wirt
Division 13N Lt. Governor (1997-1998), PA District Foundation Board
Lisa Smith
Division 13N Lt. Governor (2014-2015)
Emily Reed
District Young Children Priority One Chair(2014 – Present)
PA District Foundation Board 2016-2021
Division 13 N Lt. Governor (2017-2018)(2018-2019)(2029-2020)(2020-2021)
Ryan Hartman
Kiwanis Committee on Key Club (2010 – Present)
Division 13 N Lt. Governor (2019-20)
Region 5 Trustee (2020-2023)
Signature Service Porject Award
Kiwanis Club of Dillburg – Youth Impact Project, 2018
History of the Kiwanis Club of Dillsburg Area
The Kiwanis Club of the Dillsburg Area was charged on August 20, 1993. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Harrisburg the club was built under the leadership of then Lt. Governor of Division 13 North J. Frederic Redslob. The charter was celebrated with the formal charter night on October 9, 1993 at the Monaghan Presbyterian Church under the helm of Pennsylvania District Governor Hugh Siggins, with 40 members joining the newly formed club, including three Kiwanians from other local clubs who provided the important seasoned leadership needed for the club to flourish. Those Kiwanians were George Wirt from the Upper Allen club, Paul Junkins and Bruce Barclay from the West Shore Club.
The first board was elected and consisted of: George Wirt- President; Paul Junkins- Vice President, Thom Crescenzi- Secretary, and Tina Beam- Treasurer. The Directors were Ronald Altland, Cheryl Biggs, Don Haines, Alyce Mehring, Lloyd Wagner and Larry Skinner.
During the first year the Northern York County High School Key Club was chartered, fulfilling the primary goal of the Club’s first year. The Club’s first fund raiser was to sell Apple Dumplings at the annual Community Farmers Fair weekend. We also, with the financial help of member Bruce Barclay, purchased 20 gumball and candy vending machines which were placed in businesses in the community. During the first year the Harrisburg Club provided an interclub of four or more of their members to each of the Dillsburg Club’s meetings. This support was instrumental in the success of the Club.
During the second year the Club sponsored two Northern York Baseball Association teams
In the 1995-96 year the Club built a TOT-Lot, in Logan Park, with the help of many community businesses and was awarded a Single Service award from Kiwanis International.
In the 1997-98 we began sponsoring a Community flower garden in front of the PNC bank at Baltimore Street and Route 15. It also sponsored and after Prom Party for Northern High School.
During the 1999-2000 year our club developed a project to purchase a Town Clock for Dillsburg. The project raised over $24,000 with the Club providing $2000 and other community organizations and businesses the balance.
In 2000 – 2001 the Club began support of New Hope Ministries and made major maintenance to the Tot Lot at Logan Park and supported the National “Soap –Box Derby” program buy holding an event in Dillsburg. The Club also began providing two $1000 scholarships to Northern High Key Club seniors.
The major project in 2001-2002 was to organize a community health fair. The fair was held successful and a second fair was held in 2003. A Builders Club was chartered at the Northern York County Middle School.
In 2002 -2003 the club started a new project to purchase books and read at the Wellsville Head Start, with member Larry Skinner building a book case for them to store the books on.
In 2003- 2004 began a campaign to collect books for local libraries and daycare centers. Continued the Health Fair and held Spring and Fall Prayer breakfasts. We also provided smoke detectors to all the Head Start families.
In the 2004-2005 a scholarship to a foreign student was established. Our annual golf fundraiser was begun, supported by both Cumberland County and Dillsburg Clubs. Our Club was visited by the Treasurer of the United States (Anna Escobedo Cabral). Our first K-Kids Club was organized at South Mountain Elementary school.
Our second K-Kids club was organized at Dillsburg Elementary School during the 2005-2006 year. We also had a major project to clean up Coover Park in Dillsburg by doing a riparian planting project. This year the club voted to stop our annual fundraiser at the community fair and rely on our Golf tournament and a new blueberry sale as our major fundraisers.
In 2006-2007 year we supported an orphanage in Bulgaria and began our annual blueberry fundraiser chaired by Gary Brown. The club began using the Kiwanis management system to make reports and keep track of newsletters and attendance.
During 2007-2008 we began support to the Dillsburg Relay for Life, a Challenger baseball team, and the Bulgarian orphanage. The Young Children Priority One committee began purchasing school supplies for children of New Hope Ministries’ clients.
2008-2009 major projects involved tutoring at the Middle school with the Key Club and building a Nature trail at Dillsburg Elementary. Gary and Tracy Grinnen enhanced the blueberry sales by establishing a computerized spread sheet of buyers complete with address, phone numbers, and emails.
2009-2010 a new project to collect diapers and wipes was started and provided over 8000 diapers for New Hope Ministries’ clients. The members also volunteered a local food banks and helped the Dairy association to make milkshakes during the Pennsylvania Farm Show week.
2010-2011 all our projects continued and a major project to take our sponsored Challenger baseball team and their parents to a Harrisburg Senators game was completed. Another project was to supply Easter eggs to an orphanage in Kiev. Fuel assistance for New Hope clients was also supported.
In 2011-2012 two members, Ralph Dillen and Randy Jackson, spearheaded a major service project to package 35,000 meals for “Kids against Hunger”. The project cost the club $8000 and was held as our Kiwanis One Day project in April. Members from all the clubs in 13North as well as Key Clubs assisted in the all-day project. Ninety Kiwanis family members took over 390 hours to complete the project.
In 2012 -2013 Kiwanis began a relationship with the Highmark Caring Place to educate Kiwanis members about children’s grief. The Highmark Caring place participated in all statewide conventions by manning a booth to provide resources and education. At the main District Convention in Gettysburg the Highmark Caring Place provided a specific training on children’s grief and was given the opportunity to present to the entire convention. Kiwanis provided a grant of $2,000 to the Highmark Caring Place which was matched dollar for dollar by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Members of the Dillsburg Kiwanis Club volunteered at the Highmark Caring Place Summer Picnic for grieving families and children.
During the 2013-2014 we realized our financial goal for our contributions to the Elimination of Maternal Neonatal Tetanus, a campaign that was started by the late Fred Redslob. With our contribution we were able to save over 14,365 lives. We teamed with local churches and businesses to help make the first Youth Impact Project in our area a success.
In 2015-2016, the Kiwanis Club of Dillsburg received a Pennsylvania Foundation grant, along wth the Kiwanis International Foundation grant to install a Kindergarten Playground at Dillsburg Elementary School. A K-Kids club was chartered at Wellsville Elementary School, the only district school building to yet have a Kiwanis family club. A new fundraiser was added this year, the Touch a Truck event. Children got to climb in and on various trucks from the community.
Past Presidents
Dillsburg Area Kiwanians serving the Pennsylvania District
Signature Service Porject Award
George F. Hixson Fellowship Recipents
Walter Zeller Fellowship Recipents
Tablet of Honor Recipents
Kiwanis Heritage Society Members
Kiwanis International Life Time Membership
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