Kiwanis - Serving the Children of the World
“Kiwanis Clubs around Australia have had a long association with HeartKids. For many years Kiwanis clubs having been supplying HeartKids with heart monitors and other equipment, organizing family camps and outings (such as the Deniliquin Family Camp, the Shepparton KidsTown Picnic, the Myuna Farm Day, and the Candlebark Farm Family Camp at Healesville), paying printing costs, supplying furniture and white goods for family lounges attached to cardiac wards and generally providing support for their local HeartKids branch. Kiwanis is also heavily involved in the annual Queenscliff Seafood Feast which has raised over $500,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
In addition, since 2006, Kiwanis Australia (the body which comprises the 50 Kiwanis Clubs around Australia) has raised and contributed $140,000 towards research into Childhood Heart Disease. In 2006 $50,000 was donated to help establish a national HeartKids data base, in 2007 $40,000 was contributed to the general research pool of the ANZCHRC, and in 2008-9 $50,000 was contributed to Project Gecho, the Rheumatic Heart Disease study being conducted by the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin and aimed at improving the quality of life of indigenous children suffering from RHD.
Kiwanis aims to support CHD research into the future and looks forward to a long association with HeartKids Australia.
Kiwanis is one of the largest community service organizations in the world and has, as its focus, children and families. Kiwanis conducts its activities in a relaxed and fun environment and is always happy to welcome new members. For more information, visit the web site www.kiwanis.org.au or phone Phil Riggio on 0417 342 860.