Gazette Staff

STEVENS POINT — On Tuesday, Jan. 16th, the Kiwanis Club of Stevens Point met at the Stevens Point Country Club to celebrate and recognize a local 6^th grader, Amarie Zarda.

Zarda received this honor as part of the club’s Making a Difference Award – a program that recognizes and presents awards to one deserving sixth grade student from each of eleven area public and private elementary/middle schools every school year.

Zarda was selected by her teacher, Kevin Hopp.

“Amarie is a leader at McKinely School, where she is a captain for the cadet squad. She takes her job as a leader very seriously and is a good role model for her peers and younger students alike,” said Hopp. “Amarie makes good choices and demonstrates fairness. She is helpful and considerate and truly wants others to be successful in whatever they try. Amarie makes a difference every day with her positive attitude. She always tries her best and is quite resilient. Amarie gives her best every day to her work, her friends and everyone she meets.”

The Kiwanis Club of Stevens Point was organized in 1923 and is one of the oldest in the state of Wisconsin. Members are active in the community by being involved in the Make a Difference Award as well as the following programs:

• Kiwanis Kare Kits – a giving project that provides hygiene kits to at-need students within the Stevens Point Area Public School District. The kits include essential personal hygiene items that are distributed by school counselors and social workers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
• Nonperishable Food Collection – Each holiday season, members bring nonperishable foods to the noon lunch meetings. Donated items are given to Operation Bootstrap to help feed area families.
• Bell-ringing for the Salvation Army – Each year, club members volunteer to ring bells for the Salvation Army at various Stevens Point locations.
• Green Circle Trail – Our club keeps the Green Circle from Chase Bank to Bukolt Park litter-free. Members sign up each spring for weekly walk-throughs of this section.

For more information regarding the Kiwanis Club of Stevens Point, visit the website at: www.stevenspointkiwanis.org or like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Kiwanis.Club.of.Stevens.Point/