Past Fundraising Projects
Here some, but not all, of the ways the Club has raised money over the years:
Traders Point - Wild Air Farms
The Traders Point Horse Show at Wild Air Farms and the Club have a long history together. It started with our Club’s selection to operate the gate primarily used by Farm staff and Horse Show participants. This led to our being offered the opportunity to take over running the food tent from the Sertoma Club. The Traders Point Horse Show Food Tent rapidly became our primary fundraiser. We served breakfast and lunch, mostly to the show’s participants, over the week of the show. While covering these shifts required a large commitment from the Club, it also served as a source of comradery, stories, and memories to all who helped out
We also provided food concession to events at Wild Air Farms, such as the Cyclo-cross bicycle racing series, and the Summer Festival. This successful enterprise continued until the Farms stopped holding public events in 2016.
Have Grill Will Travel
During our run at the Traders Point Horse Show, the Club invested in a new portable commercial grill. This investment allowed us to provide food concessions at three years of the Hoosier Outdoor Experience at Ft. Harrison, Grilling Bratwursts for the Village of West Clay, and the Zionsville Brick Street Market. Then in back in 2008, we brought our grill and brats to the American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis for Let’s Meet PBS Kids in the Park.
We Do Concessions
Over the years, we turned our food service skills, in preparation and service, into fundraising opportunities to work concessions at Indy Greek Fest, Indianapolis Indians Baseball Games, Butler University Basketball games, and the 2016 BMW Championships at Crooked Stick Golf Club. In another related concessions opportunity, we sold ice cream for the Udder Guys at such locations as The Oaks at Churchill Downs and the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and a Pancake Breakfast in Holcomb Gardens at Butler University for the July 4th “Freedom Run.” All proceeds from this pancake breakfast went to Riley Hospital for Children.
The Ball Drop
In 2011, we partnered with The First Tee of Greater Indianapolis Chapter for their Ball Drop fundraiser during Halftime at the Indianapolis Colts vs Tennessee Titans professional football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. The “12th” Man conducting the ball drop was Northwest Indy Kiwanian and then Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (right).
At the Track
For several years, we collaborated with the Kiwanis Club of North Central Indianapolis to sell race programs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition to the Indy 500, we sold programs at the inaugural years Brickyard 400 and the entire 2000-2007 run of F1’s United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
Pancakes!
Begun in 1990, our primary fundraiser was the Pancake Breakfast at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. On a Saturday morning in early summer, the Club would take over the schools kitchen, thanks to the generosity of member Father Paul O'Brien, and cook piles of pancakes. Along with ticket sales, funding for the Club’s projects can from the selling of place mat advertisements to local businesses.
Peanut Day
Up until the mid-1990’s, the Club participated in Kiwanis International Peanut Day, when Kiwanians across the country would sell small bags of roasted peanuts.
Cases were available to those who wished to hand them out to Trick-or-Treaters at Halloween. At right, Vance brings in more cases of peanut bags.
Cases were available to those who wished to hand them out to Trick-or-Treaters at Halloween. At right, Vance brings in more cases of peanut bags.
O Tannenbaum!
During the first year’s of the Club, a fall and winter fundraiser was selling fresh Christmas trees from Michigan. Apparently, this project stopped after receiving a shipment of “Charlie Brown” trees.
