Cruise off but work continues with Kiwanis
The Shorewood Kiwanis Club of St. Clair Shores met Thursday night to decide the fate of the Harper Kiwanis Charity Cruise, scheduled for Aug. 26, and decided not to hold it this year.
“It breaks our hearts, because we’ve had it for years and years, but we just did not want to take a chance of anyone in our community catching COVID-19 and having a health issue,” club president Sharon Gwizdowski said. “It’s so contagious and easily passed around. We decided it was best if we did not have it this time and just look forward to next year’s cruise.
“The Harper Cruise is our largest fundraiser to help us help the children of the community and the community at large. The event has a great impact on the City of St. Clair Shores. It brings 45,000 people to it. It’s a great opportunity to bring people together and it’s a family affair for many. There are so many smiles and it’s just something so uplifting and positive that people look forward to it. The businesses get the opportunity to thank their customers and it brings new people into the businesses. After we pay the expenses for the police and the portajohns, we can use the proceeds for a lot of things.”
The South Lake Bistro is one of the food programs supported by the Shorewood Kiwanis Club. Darrel Shepherd is the culinary director at South Lake
High School, where food is being given out on Thursdays through the end of the scheduled school year.
“The goal of Chef Darrel Shepherd was to provide soup and bread to anyone in the community who was struggling to feed their family during the shutdown,” Gwizdowski said. “The chef’s motto is ‘change the world with a spoon.’ He makes homemade bread from scratch and we knew he could use some extra funds.”
Gwizdowski said two local food pantries received “substantial” contributions.
“The other one is the Most Holy Trinity Church food pantry in Detroit, in Corktown. One of our members is involved in that and when we have members involved in something, we try our best to also participate in it,” she said.
The club ordinarily meets at a restaurant that is under renovation during the state’s social distancing orders, and the club is making other plans to start up meetings.
Gwizdowski said members may meet in an auditorium where they can physically distance, and masks will be required. Longtime member and past president Carl Papa, a dentist, recently recovered from a health issue.
“Dr. Papa must wear a mask and we will all do that to protect him and each other,” Gwizdowski said.
She said the club is considering buying touch-less thermometers for members to use also.
While its members were unable to meet in person, the club kept working for the community.
“We were ready to distribute $6,000 when all this happened and brought everything to a standstill, but we found ways to continue on,” she said.
The club had collected thousands of books for a Kiwanis district project.
“We are still trying to get rid of the books,” she said. “The children’s books are being taken by churches and other places and the Vietnam veterans donation pickup service has been picking up the others.
“For the past 48 years, we have been the proud sponsor of the St. Clair Shores Figure Skating Club of St. Clair Shores Reflections on Ice,” she said. “We wanted to again assist in the hard work of their talented young skaters and their production. It’s a great community event – along with bringing our challenged adults and children to preview the full dress rehearsal. Due to COVID-19 it was cancelled, and Shorewood Kiwanis felt led to give a donation.”
“Even during the shutdown, Shorewood Kiwanis has been helping the community,” Carl Papa said. “We purchased lunch and delivered it to the St. Clair Shores Fire Department and the emergency room staff at Henry Ford in Grosse Pointe.”
Lunch was provided to the afternoon and midnight shift at Henry Ford Medical Center.
“Shorewood had been busy supporting our first responders and those in need,” Papa said.
The club also provided lunch at three of the city’s fire stations and is planning to do something special for police soon.
Kiwanians assembled “thank you” packs with small gifts and toiletries for the workers at the Village Market who help sell Kiwanis gourmet nuts at holiday time, and cruise Tshirts.
“We appreciate all our essential food workers who continue to work while we are at home,” Gwizdowski said.
“Three thousand dollars was donated to the COVID-19 Special Relief Fund to help provide personal protection equipment for the frontline healthcare workers throughout Michigan who are battling the coronavirus pandemic. The
PPE will be used in children’s hospitals,” Gwizdowski said. “Diapers were donated to the Gianna House located in Eastpointe for pregnant teenagers and young moms.”
“Scholarships totaling over $6,000 were distributed to Lakeshore, Lakeview and South Lake High School seniors. They are going into the medical field, creative studies, many different areas. Some are going to Macomb Community College and other two-year, and four-year colleges and universities,” she said.
“Normally churches throughout St. Clair Shores and Grosse Pointe receive donations for their Vacation Bible Schools however, with the COVID-19, it didn’t happen,” she said. “However, St. Paul Lutheran Church and preschool received a donation from us for their Virtual VBS Drive Through. Children received a gift bag of snacks, crafts, certificates to two local eateries and instructions to watch lessons on YouTube. One of our members is a pastor.”
The Shorewood Kiwanis Club of St. Clair Shores welcomes new members and has in fact grown by at least 20 members in the past two years. Contact Gwizdowski at 586-2466317.
“Everyone is hurting right now and Shorewood is providing financial support where we can,” she said.
To send a donation to the club for its charities, and to help make up for the loss of cruise proceeds, mail to: Shorewood Kiwanis Club of St. Clair Shores, P.O. Box 87, St.
Clair Shores MI 48080.