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Published on 05/12/1999 All articles from this issue

Los Altos High School students 'take over' Kiwanis Club

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By Clyde Noel

Special to the Town Crier

Los Altos High School students took over the Los Altos Kiwanis Club's regular meeting May 4 during the school's annual "Key Club Take Over Day."

The event served as a forum for students to share with their sponsor - the Kiwanis Club - their community service activities over the past year.

Eva Kaye, president of the school's Key Club, spoke about the service club's costume drive, which collected more than 100 costumes for homeless children as well as providing support to a homeless boy for Halloween.

In addition, club members helped provide a dinner for the homeless members of the Alpha Omega program held at local churches, and helped Kiwanians in the Bank of America Christmas tree lot. Internationally, they provided a check for $100 to the IDD (iodine deficiency disorder) and took part in environmental causes.

"We try to instill pride in the members and the school. It's (about) going the extra mile," said sophomore Reid Phillips about the 21-member club. Phillips is scheduled to be the club's vice president next year.

Started 74 years ago in Sacramento by the Kiwanis Club, the Key Club is a leadership program intended to provide high school and college students with opportunities to serve the community.

Kiwanis member Scott McGuffin, who serves as the liaison between the two clubs, attends the high school meetings each week.

"I feel it's an obligation to youth. When I grew up, I was a member of the Key Club in Southern California, and I looked to the Kiwanis as what adults were supposed to be like," McGuffin said.

There are currently 520 high schools with Key Clubs and 27,000 Key Club members in the California Kiwanis district.

Los Altos High School Key Club officers for the upcoming academic year are: Michael Chiang, secretary; Reid Phillips, Vice President; Elli Abdoli and Lauren Steffel, co-presidents. Kiwanis club president next year will be Lynn Davidson.