Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park truimphs over rain, mud and a football game

When the Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park launched their annual Christmas tree lot at Stanford Stadium November 23, they planned to remain open every day without interruption until they were sold out. Little did they dream that Stanford would host the Pac12 Championship game (after all, wasn’t Oregon the hands-down favorite?), that a tent would collapse under the weight of rain, that the parking lot would become a sea of mud!

Undaunted, the Kiwanians are continuing with their annual fundraising event to benefit Menlo Park charities. For more than 50 years they have donated over one million dollars from their volunteer activities, mostly centered on the needs of children and teens.

Foremost among their efforts are scholarships for deserving Menlo-Atherton High School students ($60,000/year), improvements to the Ravenswood School District, Rebuilding Together, St. Anthony’s of Padua Dining Room, Special Games and Project Read. Altogether, Kiwanians support some 20 volunteer organizations and activities with their time and hard work as well as with money.

The fragrant Noble fir trees at the lot are delivered fresh weekly from the same grower in Oregon they have used for many years. The lot is open daily from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm and on weekends from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, until the last tree is sold. Trees can delivered to the purchaser’s home.

The Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park will resume its weekly meeting schedule after the holidays – every Tuesday noon at Allied Arts, with food provided by the lovely  new Allied Arts restaurant. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

Pictured at tree lot Doug Scott, Mark Ghanbari, and Doug Morss.