Now might be the time to get involved with the Westerville Civitan Club – if you like dancing, pizza or Easter egg hunts, that is.
In March and April, the club, which is just one year away from its 50th anniversary, sponsors and hosts three fun and popular events in Westerville.
All three support the club’s overall mission: to serve the local community with an emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities.
The 31-member club meets twice a month.
While some people join the club with a few reservations, club President Ken Adkins suspects, they choose to stick around thanks to the autonomy they have within the club. Members pick which events they get involved in, and the club ensures they have plenty of opportunities from which to choose.
“I feel my responsibility as president is to ensure that my members have plenty of opportunities to serve and volunteer,” Adkins says.
Adkins’ favorite part of the club is the fellowship among members – he looks at them as extended family.
“We all come from different backgrounds, but you would never know it,” he says. “I am a better man just from being around them.”
The club’s springtime happenings include the Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt and the Katie Dunning Spring Dance. These two events will be held at the Westerville Community Center and are organized in partnership with the Westerville Parks and Recreation Department.
The Easter egg hunt, set for March 30, is geared specifically toward children with physical and developmental disabilities, giving them the opportunity to hunt for eggs in a safe environment. There are audio sounding eggs for children with visual impairments, and each pre-registered child receives an Easter basket filled with candy, toys and stuffed animals.
On April 13, the club sponsors the Katie Dunning Spring Dance, which celebrates its 10th year in 2013. This dance allows special needs teens and adults to experience the type of dance they might not have the opportunity to attend in school. More than 200 guests attend, and volunteers from Civitan clubs around central Ohio help out.
As a fundraiser, the club sells pizzas and subs twice a year, and the first chance to buy is approaching. With the help of their Cub and Boy Scout troops, volunteers make about 200 pizzas and 230 subs from scratch. The order form is officially posted on March 10, and the day to pick up orders is March 20.
Orders can be called in at 614-899-2491 or submitted online at the Westerville Civitan Club’s website, www.westervillecivitan.webs.com.
Morgan Montgomery is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Westerville Civitan Club Meetings: 7:15 p.m. second and fourth Thursday of each month Location: Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave. Website: www.westervillecivitan.webs.com
