Kiwanis Club of Opelika

12/10/2025

Congratulations to our fellow Opelika Kiwanian, Johnathan Clifton! Well deserved.

The City of Opelika is proud to announce the appointment of Johnathan Clifton as the new Chief of Police. A decorated leader with over 26 years of dedicated service as a law enforcement officer, Clifton brings a wealth of operational expertise, military command experience, and a deep commitment to community policing. Clifton will assume his new duties effective January 1, 2026.

Learn more here: https://ow.ly/KQxL50XH4Uy

12/04/2025

11/17/2025

Way to go Opelika Kiwanian Monty Newport!!

🌟 Meet Our Ambassador of the Quarter! 🌟
We’re excited to spotlight Monty Newport for going above and beyond in representing the Opelika Chamber! Monty has absolutely crushed it this past quarter — from showing up at nearly every ribbon cutting to jumping into volunteer roles with genuine enthusiasm. Whether he’s checking in on members, making new connections, or cheering on local businesses, Monty embodies the heart of our Ambassador program! 💪✨

Anyone who meets him immediately gains a friend — his positivity, leadership, and passion for our community are truly unmatched. Thank you, Monty, for being a true champion for Opelika and a shining example of what it means to serve! 💙

10/30/2025

Today we welcomed Dena Little with Storybook Farms as our guest speaker. Did you know Storybook Farms serves over 4,000 youth in our area every year?! To learn more about the great work that they do right here in our area and how you can be a part of their mission, click the link below: https://www.hopeonhorseback.org/getinvolved

Come be our guest every Thursday at noon Saugahatchee Country Club

09/17/2025

Our very own Kiwanian Barbara Patton was honored today in a much deserved ceremony naming the Southside Center for the Arts to the “Barbara H. Patton Southside Center for the Arts”.

08/07/2025

8/7 | This Week’s Kiwanis Speaker Spotlight: Anna Jones – Opelika Public Library

At our weekly luncheon, we had the pleasure of hearing from Anna Jones with the Opelika Public Library, who shared some exciting updates about the services and community programs the library offers.

Anna highlighted the current exhibit celebrating the 100th football game between Opelika High School and Auburn High School. This special display focuses on the Opelika High School side of the rivalry, showcasing memorabilia from decades past, including a jersey from the 1940s, a modern-day helmet, and stories from former players, coaches, and unforgettable games. The exhibit is open to the public and a must-see for local sports fans.

She also showcased some of the library’s cutting-edge services:

- A 3D printing and laser etching lab that’s free and open to the public.

- An upcoming media conversion station where community members will be able to digitize old photos, VHS tapes, and more all for free!

- A growing genealogy section, soon to be digitized for easier access to local history and family records.

Anna invited anyone with Opelika High School yearbooks to reach out, as the library is hoping to fill in the missing years in their collection.

She also encouraged us to support the Friends of the Opelika Public Library, the library’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps fund programs and hosts the popular book sale.

With over 402,000 visitors last year, more than 32,000 program attendees, and over 283,000 materials circulated, Opelika Public Library is clearly a cornerstone of our community.

Learn more or get involved at 👉 https://www.opelika-al.gov/917/Opelika-Public-Library

Thank you, Anna, for taking the time to speak with us. We truly enjoyed your presentation and appreciate all that you and the Opelika Public Library do for our community!

08/05/2025

Come be our guest this week 8/7/25 at Saugahatchee Country Club for our weekly luncheon at noon! This week our guest speaker is Anna Jones with Opelika Public Library! She will be discussing the various programs that Opelika Library has to offer along with their upcoming highlight and celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Opelika City Schools Highschool vs Auburn City Schools Highschool Football Game.

07/24/2025

Don’t forget folks - this will be a great event, free and open to the public!

We hope to see everyone Thursday, July 24th at the Opelika Chamber for a free community event aimed at keeping your money and identity safe from scammers! Oh---and there will be door prizes! For more information, email [email protected].
Auburn Public Safety - Police & FireLee County Sheriff's Office AlabamaOpelika Police DepartmentLee-Russell Council of GovernmentsCity of Opelika, Al - City GovernmentCity of Auburn, AL - City GovernmentCity of Smiths StationLee County Helping Families Initiative

07/21/2025

Join us for lunch this Thursday, July 24th, as we welcome Micah Melnick, Executive Director of BigHouse Foundation, as our guest speaker!

Micah will be sharing the incredible work Big House is doing to support foster families across Alabama. You don’t want to miss the chance to learn more about their mission and how we can all play a part in supporting children in foster care.

Come be our guest! We meet at noon at the Saugahatchee Country Club. Lunch, learning and fellowship, all in one hour.

We’d love to have you!

07/18/2025

What a great luncheon yesterday with our guest speakers Lee County Sheriff's Office Alabama, Sheriff Jay Jones and Jessica Henderson with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Lee County Sheriff's Foundation! Sheriff Jones had us laughing with stories from his early days on the force (including that alleged power outage in Opelika 😄) and shared more about the impactful work of the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation.

Jessica spoke about their current outreach initiative, Clear the List, which helps provide school supplies to teachers in Lee County, Auburn, and Opelika, because did you know state funds can’t be used for basic cleaning supplies like paper towels or disinfecting wipes? The Foundation steps in to help ease that burden on our educators.

They also touched on other community programs including self-defense classes, Trunk or Treat, and other educational partnerships.

Thank you both for your service and your dedication to making Lee County a safer and more supportive place to live!

Interested in joining? Come be our guest! We have a weekly luncheon every Thursday @ 11:45 at Saugahatchee Country Club!

07/17/2025

This week (7/17) our guest speaker will be Lee County Sheriff's Office Alabama, Sheriff Jay Jones. He will be speaking about Lee County Sheriff's Foundation current Teacher Supply Drive. Join us weekly at 11:45 CT at Saugahatchee Country Club!

05/09/2025

🎤 Guest Speaker Recap | Kiwanis Club of Opelika
This week we welcomed Jenny Babl, Director of Resource Development of the Boys & Girls Clubs of East Alabama! Jenny shared how their “secret sauce” is transforming after-school programs across their three locations in Auburn, Opelika, and Troy, serving 750 kids daily and reaching over 15,000 annually.

👏 As they celebrate 35 years of impact, we’re excited to support their mission—including their upcoming “Bringing It Back to the 90s” Gala on May 29 at the Gogue Center! For information on how you can get tickets to this annual event - click the link below: https://bgceastal.org/great-futures-gala/

Stay tuned for info about a special Kiwanis Day and tour of the Opelika Club! 💙