CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou Kiwanis have been dedicated to helping children for over half a decade, and celebrated their 60th anniversary on Oct. 10 at the Tiki Bar Lounge in Caribou.
Kiwanis New England and Bermuda District Governor Dan Bennett, who flew up from Boston for the occasion as part of a district-wide tour, said it was his first time in central Aroostook.
“This is my first time in Caribou and Presque Isle,” Bennett said. “I’m happy to be here on such a gorgeous day. It’s a little rainy now, but it’s not snowing.”
Bennett will visit Connecticut, Division 20, in late October, and then take a trip to Bermuda, Division 21, in May.
There are 41,000 members spread across 144 clubs just in Bennett’s district, which is one of 50 in the world.
“Caribou does some nice work for their community,” Bennett said, adding that he couldn’t give too much background on Caribou since he has to keep up with 144 clubs in the area, but that he was “happy to be in Caribou” after flying up from Boston.
The idea of a group having more power to help their community than an individual is what drew Bennett to Kiwanis in 1999, and he has been a member ever since.
“Kiwanis started in 1915 and the New England district started just two years later,” Bennett said. “Now we’re in 89 countries throughout the world, with the largest district being in Taiwan; they really gravitate to serving children over there.”
The district governor easily recalled all of the organization’s statistics, rattling off club and membership numbers, without hesitation, adding that “he could go on and on” about Kiwanis.
“I’m just happy to be here for Caribou’s 60th and look forward to them reaching 100 years. I won’t be around to see it, but somebody will.”
Bennett commended Caribou Kiwanis President Bill Francis’ work with the organization, and said he was glad Francis invited him up for the milestone celebration.
Francis has been with Kiwanis since 2008, and has served as the organization’s president for five years.
“I was asked to join in 2008,” Francis said. “I came to a meeting and joined so I could help kids.”
The name “Kiwanis,” he said, comes from a Native American term meaning “to serve.”
Francis said the Caribou Kiwanis serves local children in a variety of ways, such as sponsoring key clubs at Caribou High School and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. The organization also puts on keystone cop events to raise funds for projects, and attends local events like Thursdays on Sweden and Caribou Cares About Kids to raise awareness for the programs it supports.
The Caribou organization president said being involved with Kiwanis for nearly a decade has “absolutely” changed his life.
“You learn to be a more positive person, and focus on making a positive impact,” Francis said. “We’re not a social club and we don’t participate in politics. Our focus is helping kids.”
