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MAXIMUM IMPACT
Sunrise Kiwanis receives tri-state honor for support of Boys & Girls
KIWANIS AWARD BG CLUB2 9-1-16 copy
Manteca Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Jeanie Miller, left, along with Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis President Carol Davis and Vice President Debbee Tarr, hold the Impact Award while standing with fellow Kiwanis members as well as Boys & Girls Club staff and club members. - photo by HIME ROMERO/The Bulletin

It’s hard not to think of a group or pass a place in Manteca that hasn’t been made better thanks to the efforts of the Sunrise Kiwanis.
That includes the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca/Lathrop.
The service organization’s commitment to youth through the club that has 1,800 members ages 6 to 18   impresses Manteca/Lathrop Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Jeanie Miller.
“The club is grateful to the Sunrise Kiwanis,” Miller said. “They have supported the club from the start (34 years ago). The Sunrise Kiwanis are partners in helping us serve kids, supporting the club financial, helping with things such as painting projects, and mentoring kids.”
Miller isn’t the only one that is impressed with the Sunrise Kiwanis’ track record.
The organization that stages the annual Manteca Pumpkin Fair was selected among 120 Kiwanis clubs in California, Nevada, and Hawaii as the recipient of the Kiwanis Impact Award recognizing a Kiwanis club that has gone above and beyond in its efforts to serve kids through a Boys & Girls Club.
The honor was accepted by Sunrise Kiwanis President Carol Davis during the California/Nevada/Hawaii Kiwanis conference in Las Vegas.
Davis said the club — which is always looking for new ways to serve the greater Manteca community — has a heavy focus on youth and the elderly.
It was Kiwanis’ emphasis on youth that prompted Davis to join the Sunrise Kiwanis over a decade ago.
“I love the club,” Davis said.
Noting that she isn’t a morning person and that the club meets for breakfast Thursday morning in the conference room at Doctors Hospital of Manteca goes to show how vested the Sunrise Kiwanis is in Manteca’s youth.
Davis noted being able to join forces with others to serve youth and do so effectively while enjoying the camaraderie of club membership makes it easy to be a morning person on Thursdays.
The club’s marquee fundraiser — the Manteca Pumpkin Fair conducted the first weekend in October — enables the service club to assist youth groups and fund community activities to the tune of $40,000 plus a year.
Over $550,000 has been donated over the years and another estimated $275,000 has been raised by various groups through the annual Pumpkin Fair.
Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis has been providing community service and funding to local organizations since 1980.  Some of their service besides the Manteca Pumpkin Fair, monthly Birthday Buddies and constructing a playground and planting trees at Raymus House,  high school scholarships, Bike Trail Clean-up, participating in Flags Over Manteca, the free community Thanksgiving dinner in partnership with Manteca Rotary, the annual Rock N Rib Dinner, staging, Manteca 4th of July Parade, Dream Closet to provide college needs such as computers and bedding for foster kids, Christmas float, adopting several families at Christmas, Veterans Day Appreciation, and tending bar for various organizations events among the many. 
They have also provided funds over the years to: Agape Villages, American Cancer Society, American Heart Assc., American Legion, Boys & Girls Club of Manteca, Boys Scouts, CERT, Clothes Closet, Dream Closet, Raymus House Birthday Buddies, Crime Stoppers, Doctors Hospital Auxiliary, East Union Band Boosters, Sober Grad events at all local MUSD high schools, Key Club, Give Every Child a Chance, JROTC at Manteca, Sierra and East Union High, Every 15 Minutes, Great Valley Book Fest, Haven of Peace, Hope Family Shelter, Hospice, Hearts & Hands, Katrina Relief Fund, Kiwanis Family House, Kiwanis Eliminate Project, Valley CAPS, Police Explorers, Manteca Fire Chief’s Foundation, Manteca Police Chief Foundation, Manteca Police K9 Unit, Manteca Historical Society, Manteca Mural Society, Manteca Prayer Breakfast, High School Scholarships, Manteca Senior Center, Manteca Unified Student Trust, Manteca Youth Focus, MUSD Homeless Student Fund, Not Forgotten Memorial Day Event, Pregnancy Help Center, Relay for Life, Special Day of the Farm, Starting Point, Second Harvest Food Bank, Sierra High Band Boosters, Treats for Troops, Veterans Stamp Program, Veteran’s Stand Down, Welcome Home Heroes Foundation, West High Key Club and many others. 
Serving as vice president is Debbee Tarr, Larry Mallory is the treasurer, while Carolyn Richardson is the secretary.
Other members are Don Allen, Joann Beattie, John Brennan, Dave Bricker, Morgan Caperon, Gary Colby, Marlene Colby, David Cox, Chuck Crutchfield, Patrick Danipour, Steve DeBrum, Veronica DeBrum, Mike Dillman, Jennifer Edwards, Gail Freer, Charles Goeken, Bon Gonzales, Ramon Gonzales, Scott Heath, Allen Hermann, Ethan Ives, JoAnn Jamerson, CiCi Juarez, Melissa King, Nancy Loewen, Larry Madoski, Terry Mallory, Tony Montalbo, Diane Montalbo, Jacob Naven, Nina Payne, Art Perry, Arvin Reed, Connie Reed, Joe Reed, Walter Reed, Carwin Richardson, Steve Roland, Joe Sarinana, Jon Scharf, Stephen Schuler, Richard Silverman, Dean Stoker, Kerri Tapia, Ashley Tarango, Nelia Tarango, Stephen Tompkins, Crystal VanDyhuizen, Ken Vogel, Kitty Walker, Fred white, Allen Woods, Zona Zaragoza, and Rebecca Zarate.
Davis can be contacted at 823-6222 by people interested in joining the service club.
“You have to be able to meet Thursday mornings and want to help the community,” Davis said.