Kiwanis Club of Poway and The Ranches

08/19/2026

For those who missed it, our August 13th club meeting at the Poway VFW was an absolute highlight of the summer season — a rich, inspiring, and community-filled evening that reminded all of us why we love this club so much!

We want to extend a warm and heartfelt THANK YOU to the all-volunteer staff of the Poway VFW for their outstanding hospitality, their warm welcome, and their truly delicious food. The Veterans of Foreign Wars hold a deeply special place in our community, and we are honored to gather under their roof.

The meeting was jam-packed with incredible guests and presentations including:

🌟 Boys to Men Mentoring Team — We were inspired and moved by the presentation from the Boys to Men Mentoring team, whose mission to build communities of male role models and empower teenage boys to follow their dreams aligns so beautifully with our Kiwanis commitment to serving youth. The work they are doing right here in our community is genuinely life-changing.

🤝 Sunrise Vista Kiwanis Club — It was a wonderful treat to welcome our fellow Kiwanians from the Sunrise Vista club for an interclub visit! There is something truly special about connecting with other clubs who share our values and our passion for service. We hope to see them again soon!

🤝 PUSD Scholarship Recipients

08/06/2026

07/23/2026

We are hosting our next Blood Drive and need your help to make it a success!

07/14/2026

🏇 And They’re Off! Get Ready for the 33rd Annual Day at the Races! ☀️🎉

Big excitement is heading to the track, and you do *not* want to miss it! The **Del Mar Kiwanis** is officially hosting the **Sheila McDonnell Memorial 33rd Annual Day at the Races**, and it’s shaping up to be an absolute winner of a day.

Whether you love the thrill of horse racing, delicious food, or just making a massive difference in our community, this is the place to be!

# # # 📅 The Winning Details

* **When:** Friday, September 4, 2026
* **Timeline:**
* 🚪 **12:00 p.m.** – Doors Open
* 🍽️ **12:30 p.m.** – Delicious Buffet is Served
* 🏁 **2:00 p.m.** – Post Time (Let the racing begin!)

* **Where:** The premium **Star Fiddle Sky Room** at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (hello, incredible trackside views! 🥂✨)
* **Tickets:** $100.00 per person

# # # ⭐ What’s in Store for You?

Your ticket unlocks an incredible afternoon packed with entertainment and perks:

* 🎟️ **Exclusive Admission & Seating** in the Sky Room
* 🍽️ **A Gourmet Buffet Lunch** to keep you fueled
* 📊 **Official Racing Program** to help you pick your favorites
* 🎁 **Chances to Win Big:** Awesome door prizes, a thrilling Silent Auction, and a 50-50 Raffle!
* 🍹 **No-Host Bar** to toast to your favorite horses

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# # # ❤️ Racing for a Brighter Future

This year's event is held in loving memory of long-time Kiwanis member and track icon, **Sheila McDonnell**, the beloved "Queen" of the Horsemen's lounge.

Best of all, **all proceeds go directly to organizations committed to supporting and uplifting local children in need.** By joining the fun, you're helping Kiwanis improve the quality of life for families and kids right here in our community.

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# # # 🎟️ Secure Your Spot Today! (No Will-Call Available)

Tickets will *not* be available at the gate, so you **must** purchase yours in advance to get in on the action!

👉 **Buy Online Right Now:** https://2026delmarkiwanis.eventbrite.com

Let's make some memories, cheer on some champions, and change kids' lives together. See you at the track! 🐎✨

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07/02/2026

Camp Reach For The Sky 🥞 Serving Up Big Smiles at Balboa Park

We are absolutely thrilled to report another spectacularly successful event! Team Kiwanis headed out to beautiful Balboa Park to serve 35 amazing campers, along with their wonderful families and dedicated staff—bringing our total to about 125 happy, well-fed guests! It is always such a rewarding experience to spend the day in the park making a difference.

An event this smooth takes a village, and our incredible volunteers absolutely crushed it:

The Heavy Lifting & Fresh Prep: We couldn't have done it without Kevin Griffith, who stepped up to handle the heavy work. Meanwhile, Mona Randel prepared a spectacular assortment of fresh fruits! Thanks to the fantastic prep work by Marianne Hill and Melissa Walker the day before, we officially surpassed the old days of just opening a can of fruit cocktail. Talk about an upgrade!

The Main Course: Zee was spot on, securing the legendary batter straight from John Lingham’s Original Pancake House, and our phenomenal kitchen crew worked their magic to get it out to the crowd perfectly.

🌟 A Massive Thank You to Our Rockstar Crew!

A heartfelt thank you goes out to every single person who showed up, rolled up their sleeves, and brought the energy:

Lynn Beavers

Zee Zobel

Alyssa Soto

Our wonderful Pageant Ladies

Jeff Wilson

Neil Tarzy

Julie Sleeper

Mike Boyer

Jeff Shea

Liz Carlson & Bob Carlson

Katy Clark

Beth Galloway

Devan & Asahi England

Steve Ewart

(We appreciate every single one of you—hope we didn't miss a soul!)

❤️ Community Support at its Best

We also want to send a huge shoutout and thank you to Mission Federal Credit Union for their generous donation to help cover our costs. They have been steadfast, incredible supporters of Camp Reach for the Sky for several years now, and we are deeply grateful for their continued partnership.

🏆 The Grand Finale

To top off an already perfect day, we were presented with a beautiful, custom wooden plaque signed by everyone at the closing ceremony. It was a truly heartwarming moment, and I can’t wait to bring it to our next meeting for everyone to see.

06/27/2026

🍳 PUSD Summer Kick‑Off — A Strong Start to the Season!
Catching up on a great event — our first PUSD Summer Kick‑Off Breakfast for PUSD employees was a big success! Having full use of their kitchen made everything run smoothly, and we served about 150 meals to the Administrative staff. It was a fantastic way to strengthen our relationship with PUSD and highlight how much Kiwanis supports students across the district.

🙌 Key Kiwanis Leaders
A huge thank‑you to the members who helped plan and execute the event:
John Couvrette
Mona Randel
Reed Reichert
Lee Freeman
And of course, John Lingham for donating his famous Original Pancake House batter — always appreciated and always a hit!

👏 Volunteers Who Made It Happen
We had an incredible turnout of members helping on site:
Mike Boyer, Steve Ewart, Zee, Jim McGuire, Ken Hamilton, Melissa Walker, John Rigby, Tom Halfaker, John Hoey, Mike Celeste, Ron Moehlig, and our Kiwins members.

Special thanks to Beth Galloway, Mike Szoka, Estela Latifzadeh, and the Poway Scholarship Pageant Court for bringing extra energy and support.

05/27/2026

Poway Kiwanis at the 12th Annual Emergency & Safety Fair — A Day of Community, Preparation, and Fun!
What a wonderful morning it was at Old Poway Park on Saturday, May 23rd! Members of the Poway Kiwanis Club were proud to join neighbors, first responders, and community organizations at the 12th Annual Poway Emergency and Safety Fair, presented by the Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps (PNEC).
A Community Coming Together
From 9 AM to 1 PM, Old Poway Park buzzed with energy and enthusiasm as families from across the area gathered for a morning packed with valuable information, hands-on learning, and great community spirit. The fair's mission was front and center: bringing area resources and residents together to raise awareness about how preparing for emergencies saves lives — and it delivered on that promise in a big way!
A huge thank you to the Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps, the Poway Community Emergency Response Team, Poway Fire, and every volunteer and organization who made this event such a success. And of course, thank you to every resident who came out, engaged, and took steps toward being better prepared!

05/17/2026

The Kiwanis Club of Poway and The Ranches had a fantastic meeting on May 14, with a great turnout and plenty to celebrate. It was one of those evenings that reminds us why our club is so special.

Our partnership with Boy Scout Troop 681 continues to shine. The three Eagle Scout presenters were outstanding, and it’s clear that Scoutmaster Ross Simmons and Chair Dan Golich (also a proud Kiwanian) are providing exceptional leadership for these young men.

We were also thrilled to recognize two of our own with Distinguished Service Awards from the California–Nevada–Hawaii District:

Julie Sleeper
Deric Merino

Another great meeting in the books — full of service, pride, and community spirit.

05/01/2026

On April 25, 2026, the Kiwanis Club of Poway and The Ranches hosted a fantastic park clean‑up and maintenance day at Lake Poway — and what a turnout we had.

In addition to our dedicated Kiwanis members, we were joined by about 100 youth volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and jumped into everything from trail clean‑up to building picnic tables. Their energy and teamwork made a massive impact on one of Poway’s most treasured outdoor spaces.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who showed up to serve.
We’ll see you again next year for another great day at the lake!

04/16/2026

Wonderful turnout of Kiwanis members to help Alyssa Soto and Estala Latifzadeh put on the Pageant! Don't have pics
of everyone involved, but hope to at least get your name down to be recognized! Between Nancy Polston and myself,
we did our best. I'm sure there will be a nice article in the paper about the newly crowned court!

Saturday started out at John Couvrette's office (thanks John), and we had members checking in contestants and serving
as room monitors. Thanks to Lee Freeman, Steve Ewart, Ron Lonicki, Liz Carlson, Harry Kimball, Mona Randel, Neil Tarzy,
and John Hoey.

Sunday was the big day with set up, the pageant event, and clean up. Big thanks to Randy Hill, Reed Reichert (pledge leader), Mike Celeste,
Mark Rataczak, Lisa Lingham, Phil Hurley, John Couvrette, Nancy Polston, Neil Tarzy, Lee Freeman, Tom Halfaker, Mona Randel,
Liz Carlson, Pam Hixson, Diane McWhorter, John Hoey, and Warren Lew. We also had a new prospective member, Shavali Sharma,
and folks from Poway Rodeo to help.

And the Biggest news is that both Katy Clark and Beth Galloway were judges this year...... fantastic!