Tom E. Crawford Service Award - Knox County Aktion Club
Aktion Club is the only service club for adults with disabilities, with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Club members become competent, capable, caring leaders through the vehicle of service. Aktion Clubs draw members from various organizations that support individuals with disabilities, as well as other community programs. A Kiwanis club, composed of like-minded, service-oriented people from the community, serves as the club’s sponsor. Aktion Club is supported at the district level and by the Kiwanis International Office in Indianapolis, Indiana, which provides programs, literature and opportunities to relate to individuals with disabilities from countries worldwide.
In Knox County, our local Aktion Club was started in 2008. We have built up this club to have over 25 members who are always looking for ways to give back to our community through service projects, fund raising and more! When COVID hit, we moved into the digital world and held our Aktion Club meetings on Zoom, added virtual book clubs, painting clubs, movie nights and so much more to keep everyone engaged and involved.
On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, the Knox County Aktion Club had several guests; Mr. Alan Penn (Past Kiwanis International President), Mr. Dick Brulotte (Ohio District Kiwanis Aktion Club Chairman), and several Knox County Kiwanis Members joined in the meeting for a very special presentation.
Mr. Alan Penn started his presentation by saying, “It did not surprise me that post pandemic, the Knox County Aktion Club was still going to be doing these amazing things. Every year at the Ohio District Kiwanis Leadership Education Day, the Ohio District Kiwanis seeks out those Aktion Clubs that go above and beyond what normal Aktion Clubs do. Every year we honor one club, as an Aktion Club which has taken service and their activities in the program to a new level.” He went on to describe how the project this year was a challenge to all Aktion Clubs across Ohio to put together something for families that might be facing hard times. He said, “it was basically to gather some items and put them together to provide for a family that might be having some youngster celebrating a birthday that may be not able to afford a birthday cake, birthday surprises, and things like that. So this was a birthday in a bag project. These items were put into a bag and given to a local food bank. Yes, it was a simple project. While many clubs just collected these items, this club that is getting this award today, The Knox County Aktion Club members took it several steps further. Members together identified and reached out to a local food bank, it wasn’t the advisor, it was the club members that decided to do that. They went on to talk with them to find out about doing a joint project to raise awareness of a need and to provide some things for youngsters who are having birthdays. They planned and organized the drive, and the drive ultimately collected food, paper products, and gift cards for these youngsters. Members determined what items were needed in the bag, and they decided how to assemble them as a service project. And the neat thing was, an Aktion Club member delivered the bags in person to the food bank.”
Mr. Dick Brulotte then talked abut the history of the award and how it all came to be. He said, “Tom E. Crawford was an unusual young man. He was in Aktion Club, but he decided that wasn’t enough for him. He said to his mom, I want to be a regular Kiwanian. And so he joined the Kiwanis Club.” He went on to discuss how Tom participated in all the meetings, conferences and helped in any way he could to make his community a wonderful place to live. Tom was the only person who was a former Aktion Club member to become a Kiwanian. He said, “when Tommy passed, we decided to honor Aktion Clubs for your service in the community because he had a servants heart. I’m here today because I’m representing that club that he was a member of, the All Ohio e-Medina Kiwanis Club, and what we are giving is the Tommy E. Crawford Service of the Year Award to a club that has done a lot and outstanding service for the year. I’m pleased to present this to your club.”
FRONT ROW
Max B, Loren T, Heather H, Melissa K, Past International Kiwanis President Alan Penn, Stacy G Aktion Club Vice President, Bethany S , Samantha M Aktion Club Treasurer, Matthew H, Deanna H, John Paul K, Erica F
BACK ROW
Carlie S, Judy A Mount Vernon Kiwanis, Dick Brulotte Ohio District Kiwanis Aktion Club Chairman, Steve Oster Superintendent, Al Allender Mount Vernon Kiwanis Treasurer and Wendy Fowler, Mount Vernon Kiwanis President Elect.
