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Washington Evening Journal
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Kiwanis club paints North Park
WASHINGTON — As early morning light streaked through the trees, around a dozen volunteers convened at Washington’s North Park on Saturday, equipped with towels, jackets and painting supplies as the sign at neighboring Stewart Elementary read 35 degrees.
The group represented the Washington Noon Kiwanis Club, and they were there to paint the playground.
“Around America, every Kiwanis group does a ‘Kiwanis One Day today,’ we try to find a project to help kids because that’s our whole goal,” President Jenny Morgan said. “We worked with the city of Washington, they said this park needed painted, so it was a perfect ‘One Day’ project.”
Morgan said the club had several causes to support every year, including several kids’ charities in town. It also works to keep members engaged.
“We have a lot of fun, we’re pretty laid back,” she said. “We try to have a program every week, learn about different things in town, and just make it fun to eat lunch with all your friends.”
There was some trouble getting the project started, thanks to unfavorable weather the night before, though volunteers found they could make do with some towels and determination.
“From what I’ve worked in construction, you generally want to paint something that’s dry and warm,” club member Bill Hardin said. “You don’t want to paint something cold and you don’t want to paint something wet.”
Morgan said involvement in the organization was its own reward.
“It just makes you feel good when you can help others,” she said. “You get to know people around the community. I wouldn’t know a lot of these people if it wasn’t for Kiwanis. It’s great to have that kind of organization to meet new people.”
Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com
Washington Noon Kiwanis Club Members test how well their paint adheres to the metal playground equipment, most of it still wet with dew from the night before and close to freezing. (Kalen McCain/The Union)
Washington Noon Kiwanis Club President Jenny Morgan (left) and club member David Hoffman paint a bench in North Park. (Kalen McCain/The Union)
Kiwanis club member Bill Hardin paints a section of a playground structure that had received just enough light to dry off by 8:30 a.m. (Kalen McCain/The Union)
Kiwanis Club Members Janelle Johnson (left) and Angela Langstraat (right) found that a section of the swings under a tree had stayed dry enough to paint despite condensation elsewhere. (Kalen McCain/The Union)
Kiwanis Club Members paint the lower, drier parts of a climbing structure, with a towel ready to dry off other parts of the metal as they work their way up. From left: Jeff Vetter, David Cotner, and Jenny Morgan. (Kalen McCain/The Union)
