By Ann Marie Shambaugh
Since opening ProCartz on Michigan Road about two years ago, Mike and Pau Nelson said they have been amazed at the support they’ve received from the local community.
Now, they’re ready to give back.
The couple is helping launch a Kiwanis Club in Zionsville, which has been without the service organization since the previous club folded about three years ago. Neither Nelson has been a member of Kiwanis before, but they are sold on its mission to make a difference in the local and global community.
They also are eager to form a group that has a focus on children, both assisting those in need and building leadership in those associated with the club.
“We want to make sure the children in the community have the leadership opportunities that the Kiwanis club offers them,” Pau said. “We want to make sure the kids (in need in our community) are served. Zionsville is perceived as an affluent community. We sometimes forget that there are some families in need, so we want to make sure that those families are taken care of and we give our children the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
Pau said that club members have already discussed plans to participate in Zionsville’s annual Fall Festival with the Key Club and coordinate cleanups along Michigan Road. On a larger scale, the club plans to support Kiwanis International’s efforts to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus.
Even without a local Kiwanis Club, Zionsville Community High School has continued to support a Key Club, a Kiwanis program for high school students. It has been sponsored by the Northwest Indianapolis Kiwanis Club, but the new Zionsville Kiwanis Club hopes to take over that role soon.
“We want to make sure the kids know that we support them and we support their efforts and their projects,” Pau said.
The new club plans to meet at 7:30 a.m. on the second and third Wednesday of the month at Old National Bank, 385 S. Main St., until a permanent home with more space can be found. The first meeting is set for March 9. The meeting times may be adjusted as more members join and discuss schedules.
Learn more about the Zionsville Kiwanis Club by calling the Nelsons at 858-1830. Learn more about Kiwanis International at www.kiwanis.org.
