Elgin Golden K Kiwanis welcome first woman to the club

The Elgin Golden K Kiwanis Club is announces that they have inducted their first female member to the club. On Feb. 22, Erica Arce was inducted with fellow newcomer Rod Ball. She became the first woman to join the Elgin club since it was chartered back in 1975.

The club welcomes the two Elgin residents as new members and looks forward to even more new members in the future.

Club President Tom Petersen says he is hopeful that Arce's decision to join the Golden K Kiwanis Club will encourage more women to join the club.

Petersen says the club was never intended to be all male, but he says, "it's been a challenge attracting women to the organization."

Perhaps it's because the Golden K meet at 9 a.m. Wednesdays in the basement of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St. in Elgin, and that time of the day is inconvenient for many prospective members.

It features a new and interesting guest speaker at every meeting.

The Elgin Golden K Club is part of the International Kiwanis organization. It is a service club dedicated to volunteering in the community with an emphasis on helping children.

Visit www.elgingoldenk.org.

The club has one major fundraiser each year. The proceeds, which support the club and its many charitable causes, comes from the annual "Peanut Days" campaign. The club also runs a pastry sale every year, works the start of each semester staffing the bag-check at the Elgin Community College book store, volunteers at the Interfaith Food Pantry, and donates time at the Elgin Crisis Center. There's plenty to do and always room for additional volunteers.