A Long History of Serving Our Community
The Kiwanis Club of Chardon got its start some 89 years ago on October 3, 1923. Chardon native and well known newspaper owner, Hal P. Denton started the first club in Chardon.
The original club held dinner meetings in the Highland Hotel, now long gone, on the Historic Chardon Square. These dinner meetings cost members a mere 75 cents each. Each meeting was lead by club president Charles Canfield and vice president Wilder Parson.
After the Great Depression hit our country, money became scarce and what money could be found was needed for the household. The hard times took their tole on the club until it disbanded on February 21, 1944.
However, only five years later, October of 1949, the Kiwanis Club of Chardon was re-organized and this new club still exists today. Since those early years, the Kiwanis Club of Chardon has helped out many families in the Chardon area, helped organize a number of community activities and groups, started maple syrup sales to raise money for scholarships, and provided a forum for speakers throughout our community.
Today the group still strives to help those in need and improve our community everyday. Today's club often helps out children and families, offers yearly scholarships, and is involved in events throughout the year such as Winter Fest, the Concerts in the Park, Old Glory Day, a Car and Motorcycle Show, Kids Fest, a Corn Roast, Fall Fest, and trivia night.