By NANCY MARTIN

Kingston is blessed to have two service clubs that contribute so much to our little town: Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club and Greater Kingston Kiwanis.

Founded in the 1980s, Kiwanis has been a long-standing force for improving the lives of children in North Kitsap. Kingston Rotary is the new kid on the block, chartered in 2004, and will soon celebrate 10 years of service to the community.

Rotary and Kiwanis have much in common and work together on several beneficial projects for Kingston. The Village Green Foundation, area food drives, and the Feed the Kids program are ongoing concerns for both service clubs. Representatives of Rotary, Kiwanis, the Chamber of Commerce, and various churches are now working on a new project, the Kingston Cares about Homeless program.

Rotary and Kiwanis support community activities through their membership and service to the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Most of the volunteers at Chamber events are members of Kiwanis or Rotary. Both organizations have service clubs at Kingston High School. Kiwanis sponsors the Key Club and Rotary sponsors the Interact Club. At the end of each school year, both Rotary and Kiwanis present scholarships in varying amounts to graduates of Kingston High School.

Why have two service clubs in one little town, if they share so many of the same goals? Meeting time seems to be one defining feature of which club to attend. Both groups have meetings open to the public and are seeking new members. Kiwanis meets every Thursday morning at 7 for breakfast at the Oak Table Café on Highway 104. Rotary meets every Wednesday at 11:45 .m. at North Kitsap Fire & Rescue Station 81, 26642 Miller Bay Road in Kingston, for their lunch meeting. Both groups consist of business owners, consultants, retirees, and active community members, so people tend to choose which meeting blends with their work or lifestyle schedule.

Each group also has their signature events which Kingston and the North end communities look forward to. Kiwanis sponsors the Valentine Gala in February, which benefits the Kingston Boys and Girls Club. Kiwanis also sponsors a Halloween celebration and a Santa’s Workshop for kids around the holiday. And each summer, we all look forward to the annual Kiwanis Berry Sale.

Rotary’s signature event is The Swing for Rotary Golf Tournament in June each year at White Horse Golf Club. The tournament was first held in 2007 and has been one of the most successful fundraisers for the club. However, several new fundraising activities promise to rival the golf tournament in the “fun and fund-raising” category.

There is the annual Fourth of July Fun Run, which is a great family event on one of the busiest days in Kingston. You’ll also see Rotarians serving beverages at each of the Kingston Chamber’s free summer concerts. Say hello to them as they pour beer and wine in the Port of Kingston’s big white tent. And what would our community do without the Rotary tables and chairs which are provided for various community fundraising events?

“The Haunt,” sponsored by Rotary in conjunction with Kitsap Haunted Fairgrounds Productions and whose proceeds benefit the North and Central Kitsap communities, had a very successful debut in October.

So if your image of a service club is a group of stuffy old men in suits, then you haven’t met a Kingston Rotarian or Kiwanian. Both groups consist of fun-loving men and women who are involved in community service and fundraising events which benefit others.

Attend one of their meetings and decide for yourself.

— Contact columnist Nancy Martin at nanjmartin@mac.com