Kiwanis Club Orlando History
Kiwanis Club Orlando has a rich history as one of the oldest Kiwanis clubs in the state and the nation. Dating back to 1921, Kiwanis Club Orlando has served the needs of Central Florida children, all while fostering a camaraderie between club members from all walks of life.
Early Community Service
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The club began with a group of civic-minded businessmen in the Orlando area. One of the earliest partnerships was with a local women's group called the Orlando Day Nursery Association, which was formed a short time earlier to care for children from families with limited resources and no childcare options.
Though club history does not note how the partnership formed, it appears that the common interest was between husbands and wives who were members of the respective organizations. As with all Kiwanis clubs throughout the U.S., early rules restricted Kiwanis Club Orlando membership to men.
Back in 1928, Kiwanis Club Orlando took over funding responsibility for the daycare center operated by Orlando Day Nursery Association.
The club also purchased a piece of property commonly called the Old Macy Property, which included a large two-story gothic-style building on a half acre of land at the corner of Hughey Avenue and South Street.
The nursery was named Kiwanis Day Nursery and Hospital Association, though daily activities at the center remained under the direction of Orlando Day Nursery Foundation.
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Property Puzzle
Kiwanis Club Orlando continued to grow and thrive in the following decades. During that time, the city transformed from a sleepy Florida town, known primarily for its lakes, citrus groves and winter visitors to a community with a growing population. As the Interstate Highway System began to take shape nationwide, a highway was planned through the center of the city. Interstate 4 would connect the east and west portions of the state on a path that ran directly through the Kiwanis Day Nursery building.
The original property at the corner of Hughey and South was "exchanged" for a larger tract of land on the South-side of Anderson Street, just East of Garland Avenue. Thanks to the generosity of Kiwanian Chesley G. Magruder and his wife, along with many other contributions, a new, modern childcare facility was constructed in 1960.
In 1968, the Orlando Utilities Commission decided to erect a new administration building and parking garage immediately joining the Kiwanis property on the East. The project also included property exchanges. Meanwhile, the newly-formed Orange County Expressway Authority, headed by former club member James Greene, began planning an East/West toll-road to bisect downtown Orlando. Property needed for the project also involved the southern property line. Club member and realtor Lawrence R. Condict helped oversee parcel exchanges that left the club with additional property and an abandoned building to house the Kiwanis office.
In 1976, the Kiwanis leadership created a new organization known as Kiwanis Club Of Orlando Foundation, Inc. The foundation's board of directors would receive and disburse charitable funds, properties, and donations in accordance with state statute and federal law. In late 1978, the foundation purchased the final piece of property necessary to connect all previously-existing parcels of land for $17,000. Several years later, the club worked with the Orlando Fire Department to create a training exercise at the then-abandoned home on the property. The building was set on fire and burned to the ground. Kiwanian Bruce Williams used his construction company to bulldoze the debris.
Kiwanis Club Orlando Evolution
The club created an annual fundraiser in the late 1960's known as the World's Largest Garage Sale. Yearly, the club would organize a massive red and white striped circus tent full of garage sale items. Through the mid-1980's the fundraiser was incredibly successful. The only problem - storing all of the garage sale items. Kiwanian Bob Riddle solved the storage crisis by recommending that a steel pre-fab warehouse be constructed on the south-west corner of the property.
The club elected its first female president, Liz Rizzo, in the 1990s. At the same time, club members coordinated a yearly Christmas party for area children and maintained an active schedule of volunteer service activities throughout the community, including sponsorship of a Key Club for high school students at Edgewater High School and organizing a yearly track meet for hundreds of elementary school students from Central Florida.
As Orlando - the city beautiful - continued to grow, the Kiwanis property situated at the intersection of two major highways became a hot prospect for developers. At the same time, the daycare facility required an increasing amount of upkeep and repair. Eventually, the property was sold and a new daycare center was built at the current location on Lake Dot Circle.
Through the Kiwanis Club Orlando Foundation, local organizations in need of support continue to have a place to turn for help. The foundation recently awarded a $100,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida to support the organization's Youth of the Year award. Other grant recipients include the Edgewood Children's Ranch, Second Harvest Food Bank, Parramore Kidz Zone.
Kiwanis Club Orlando continues to maintain a strong relationship with Orlando Day Nursery and the Orlando Day Nursery Foundation. In addition to financial support, club members volunteer at the daycare center - from reading stories to the kids to making improvements around the property.
As Kiwanis Club Orlando evolves, the club continues to focus on changing Central Florida - one child at a time.
