The holiday season is upon us, and with that the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club is focused on its annual Give A Christmas fund.
With more than $4.7 million raised throughout its 63 years, the program has grown into the biggest campaign run by the local Kiwanis chapter, in partnership with the Bucks County Courier Times.
But while this campaign has made quite a name for itself, the Kiwanis Club remains unknown to some, said board member and past president Mary Berman.
“A lot of times people don’t always know what Kiwanis is, but if we say ‘Give A Christmas,’ they totally understand where we’re coming from,” Berman pointed out.
It all started in 1954. Members of the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club, originally named Levittown Kiwanis Club, initially collected money among themselves and used the funds to buy food and clothing to distribute to families in need.
“It was a small start, but it grew,” said Mary Ann Delia, board member and past president and of Kiwanis Club. “They found out what needs there were, and they started gathering together to figure out a way to meet those needs.”
Today, through the faithful efforts of its dedicated volunteers, the club’s initiatives have grown larger in scope, with several service projects designed to lift the local community throughout the year.
One such large undertaking is the annual Kiwanis-Herald Sesame Place Classic, hosted in partnership with the Bucks County Herald.
“That’s a big deal which takes hundreds of hours of work. We’re not a large club so everybody plays a part,” Delia said.
The race, which has been put on hold during the pandemic, has attracted as many as 2,000 runners in a day with its 5K race, 1-mile fun run and Sesame Sprint.
The funds raised from the one-day event go towards the Dick Dougherty Scholarship Fund which provides financial assistance to college-bound student athletes from 17 area high schools, explained Delia. The students, one male and one female from each school, are selected based on the recommendations of the schools’ athletic directors and are honored at a banquet put on by the Kiwanis Club.
The best part is knowing it all benefits the kids, she added.
“(The scholarship recipients) are outstanding examples of the kinds of students that we’re producing in our Bucks County schools. It’s actually inspirational to be there when the videos are being shown and when the students are coming up to the microphone to accept their scholarships. You leave their feeling energized,” said Delia.
Another initiative, which gets the organization out in front of the community, takes place each year at Historic Bristol Day. The Kiwanis Club sets up a table filled with book donations to hand out to children who stop by and visit. This year, more than 500 books were distributed, said Delia.
“All in all, it’s a very nice way to connect with the Bristol community. The focus is definitely on distributing books to children. It’s a good way to get the word out that Kiwanis is there, that Kiwanis is in the community, and if you need help, then we’re there,” explained Delia.
In the spirit of giving to children, the Kiwanis Club also adopted Violetwood Park in Bristol Township, which was rededicated in 2014. Thanks to two donations totaling $35,000, they revitalized the existing park, adding new playground equipment, handicap-accessible swings, mesh benches and a basketball court.
And then there’s the help they provide to people in need throughout the year, thanks largely in part to the remainder of unused funds from Give A Christmas.
Members read letters during the holidays and beyond from people asking for help in very specific ways and Kiwanis finds a way to meet their needs. Sometimes it’s providing grocery and gas gift cards to a family who’s travelling back and forth to the city for their child’s medical appointments. Other times, it’s providing oil to someone who would otherwise be without heat in the winter.
All of this wouldn’t be possible without the continued support of their devoted donors, explained Delia.
“I see the same names year after year contributing. And then there are always new contributors,” said Delia. “We have a good base and lots of generous people in our communities.”
— Michele Haddon, Special to the Bucks County Courier Times
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