Community News

     Kiwanis Club of Oswego is a volunteer organization that primarily promotes education and fun for children within the Oswego area.

     The club is one of the many Kiwanis organizations established domestically and internationally.

     Julia Burns, in her third consecutive year as president of the Kiwanis Club of Oswego, is retired and enjoys dedicating her free time to volunteer work. 

     As president of the Oswego Kiwanis Club, Burns runs the meetings and essentially oversees the many projects that the organization takes on. 

     “Every event has lots of tentacles, so somebody has to take care of all the tentacles,” Burns said.

     The original Kiwanis started in 1917, while the Kiwanis Club of Oswego was chartered in 1921. The seasoned organization has evolved over the past decades. Originally, it was an all-male organization, but today it includes many women members. The Kiwanis Club of Oswego has 30 dedicated volunteer members, some having been members for over 40 years. 

     “They are very dedicated to their cause,” Burns said. “Our mission is enhancing the lives of children. We also target the elderly." 

     The Kiwanis Club of Oswego is often behind the scenes of a wide array of volunteer events throughout the year. It sponsors children's events and hosts fundraisers.

     So far this year it has hosted several events such as a golf tournament, a Father's Day dinner and a pancake breakfast. The club additionally sponsors "Movies in the Park" and provides several large events for children every year.

     “We have a free Christmas event for the children every year,” Burns said. “We sponsor a blood screening clinic in August, and then we have more dinners coming. 

     “The blood screening clinic is in conjunction with Oswego Health,” she said. “It's the first Saturday in August.”

     Most importantly, the Kiwanis Club of Oswego provides its biggest annual event in September: Kids' Day.

     “We have a big, free children's festival at Breitbeck Park—Kids' Day, we call it. It's a family event, they can bring whoever they want. It's become quite an event; we average about 500 kids,” Burns said. “It's a great day and everybody has a good time.”

     Kids' Day has carnival games, food, and prizes for children and families alike. Kiwanis Club of Oswego also provides entertainment for the kids. In the past, there have been magicians, balloon, artists, face painters and more. Kiwanis Kids' Day is Sept. 20. 

     “Everything is free!” Burns said.

     While the Kiwanis Club of Oswego has no official location, it hosts many meetings, events and fundraisers at Bridie Manor. 

     “We meet every Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at Bridie Manor,” said Burns.

     The Kiwanis Club of Oswego is always looking for more members. Anyone who is interested in the club is welcome to attend the open meetings. 

     “We never have enough volunteers. We encourage them to join as members because then they have ownership in the events and in what we do. We also like the outside input, because I'm sure there are things we could do much more and much better,” Burns said. “We give to human concerns, we give to Salvation Army, we give to all the things, but I'm sure there are better ways to do more for the community.”

     To contact the Kiwanis Club of Oswego, Burns can be reached by phone at (315) 402-0388 or by e-mail at jbfreestar55@gmail.com.