The Kiwanis Club of Opelousas held its second annual banquet at the Yambilee Building to honor and recognize key members for ‘Spicing Up’ their investment in the community.
Among the many projects the club actively participates in, Kiwanis Kids is an on-going project with volunteers who work closely with school faculty to recognize & reward students that struggle academically.
These are the students that may not make honor roll or principal’s list but have shown increased efforts to improve in areas such as participating in class, improving their grades, showing advancements in character development, self-esteem, and perseverance by improving conduct, peer relationships, attendance, or schoolwork.
The ‘Spice Up the Night’ banquet held on Wednesday evening honored and recognized community leaders for their dedication and support to Kiwanis’ mission serving the needs of the community and giving back. The honorees of the evening were: St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard, City of Opelousas Mayor Julius Alsandor, Judge Shaunn Callier Harden, Opelousas Parks and Recreation Superintendent Chris Rideau, St. Landry Bank CEO Robbie Tomlinson, and DCG Agency Owner/CEO Joseph F. Godchaux.
Opelousas native and news anchor for television News 15, Marcelle Fontenot, was the emcee for the evening’s events. Key note speakers for the evening included Rhonda Lorio, Division 7 Lt. Governor who delivered a testimonial on the Kiwanis Kids Program to attendees and the significance the program has had on children in schools. St. Landry Parish School Board Superintendent Milton Batiste was also a keynote speaker for the evening who presented a slide for guests in attendance on the strategic planning priorities and implementing initiatives in hopes of increasing impact.
New Kiwanis club members were inducted and installation of officers also took place as part of the program for the banquet. To learn more about the programs and community projects Kiwanis Club of Opelousas provides contact the club by email to info@opelousaskiwanis.org and see if you might be interested in joining as a member!
