Kiwanis has been very busy this summer raising money for scholarships for seniors and making sure we have enough funds to support our programs that support young people in the greater Kingston area.
Our blueberry sales were a great success, with Dave Muller getting the right farm to supply the fruit and setting up logistics on delivery. Dave Wetter made the drive — almost to Canada — to get them, and Tom Davies made calls with Glenn and Dahlia Malin to collect the money and keep everything moving along. All told, 242 boxes were delivered (and a couple of raspberries snuck in at the last moment).
We had some interesting speakers on two very diverse subjects this past month. Dr. Yasuko Takezawa is a professor at Kyoto University, the second oldest research university in Japan. The sought-after academic has been published many times. Years ago, Kiwanians Hal and Helen Hoover sponsored her as an exchange student and Helen managed to get her away from her busy schedule to speak to our club.
Dr. Takezawa’s special interests are theories of race and ethnicity (which is a development from my earlier studies on Japanese American ethnicity, pan-Asian ethnicity, and African American community organizations).
Her presentation centered on the Japanese American internment camps during World War II. Many people don’t know, Japanese Americans on the West Coast were interned during World War II, and our neighbors on Bainbridge Island were the first to be taken from their homes.
If you are interested in more history of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, go to Google and type in Dr. Takezawa’s name.
The other presenter was Julian Rutherford, PA-C, a physician’s assistant with 20 years’ experience. Rutherford teamed up with Dr. Peter Lehman, M.D., to start Vintage Direct Primary Care PLLC. Their goal is to bring primary care to Kingston that people can afford. Some services offered are extended relaxed visits, same day appointments, annual comprehensive physicals, with full access via technology. They even make house calls!
Vintage Direct Primary Care is located on Barber Cutoff Road, in the same complex as Kingston Physical Therapy and Kingston Dental. If you make it to 100 years of age, your fee is only $1 a month. Call 360-860-3020.
Our Salmon Slam and Cruise Raffle was a great success and, of course, the dinner was wonderful. Participants really enjoyed themselves, and the money raised will support scholarships and Kiwanis projects for kids. We also collected school supplies at Walmart in August with Kingston Rotary Club, and packed 135 backpacks Aug. 29 at Wolfle Elementary School. We stay busy but have lots of fun.
To learn more about Kiwanis, call our President Rob Shoaf, 907-306-7611 or me, Bob Lee, 360-297-4462.
— Contact Kingston Kiwanis columnist Bob Lee at glencarin@aol.com.
