EASTERN OTTAWA KIDS NEED KIWANIS
Welcome to Kiwanis Eastern Ottawa Est! We are an eclectic mix of ages, genders, occupations, backgrounds and interests. We are all passionate about making our community and the world a better place for children so they can thrive. We are devoted to serving the children in our local community and also children all across the country and worldwide through unique and innovative service projects and fundraising initiatives.
OUR SIGNATURE INITIATIVES
SKREAMERS HAUNTED ATTRACTION
Kiwanis’ signature project, sKreamers, is an annual fear fest that attracts youth across the city and gives local youth a tremendous opportunity to gain hands-on leadership skills. With over 60,000 visitors, sKreamers is one of Canada’s top haunted attractions.
OHHH CANADA KIDS FESTIVAL
The annual event is an enormous undertaking for an organization of any size, but we believe it is important to offer a free family-friendly alternative to the downtown gridlock, featuring all the spectacle you can imagine!
COMMUNITY ACTION
Since 1988, whether it's a digital divide, a supply shortage, a flood, a food drive, or a global pandemic, Kiwanis Eastern Ottawa rises to the occasion to support kids and their families when they need it. We're all about service to those who shape our future.
“We’re a new generation of service club. We’re not about pomp and circumstance or member dues. We build community and opportunity. We roll up our sleeves and make a difference. We share our time and talent so kids can be kids.”
LG Harley Bloom, Division 12, EC&C
ABOUT US
In 1988, Kiwanis International granted our Kiwanis club its charter. Since then, our small club has achieved some pretty big things.
Learning that many Orleans school age children are in need of basic school supplies, long time member suggested we do something about it. Approaching Staples Canada the Club established a program that connected over 130 Canadian Kiwanis Clubs and their local Staples stores to collect over $2.5 million worth of binders, pens, markers, etc., and all for use in each Club’s local school system. UPDATE! During COVID-19, Kiwanis and Staples enhanced the program to collect over $500,000 for school supplies in Ontario.
Kids are at the center of everything we do. So when the Children’s Aid Foundation approached our Club for guidance with establishing a new fundraiser, we agreed to take our successful community based trivia night and helped build it into “World Trivia Night”, the world’s largest indoor trivia championship featuring over $10,000 in event prizes and the Foundation’s biggest annual generator for badly needed funds.
To bolster community development, the Club then set out to build a playground. Amassing over $325,000, the Club, in partnership with the City of Ottawa found a great location. Asking local school children to suggest design elements, the playground was envisioned to reflect the City of Ottawa’s roots and included a ship that would have once sailed the Ottawa River and a climbing tower, reminiscent of the Parliament Buildings.
One of our greatest accomplishments is the creation and growth of the Club’s haunted attraction “sKreamers”. For over 10 years the program has trained and nurtured over 1,500 student volunteers to be creepy, to get their community support hours, to develop self confidence, to work with the public and to help fundraise over a quarter of a million dollars that is specifically targeted for the Orleans and Ottawa community. With over 60,000 visitors, sKreamers is one of Canada’s top haunts.
In our continued effort to deliver amazing experiences for eastern Ottawa youth, the Club started hosting O Canada Orléans on Petrie Island in 2017. This free family-friendly alternative to the Hill gridlock maintains all the spectacle you can imagine. We play host to thousands of eager Ottawa youth and families, truly embodying what it means to be a service club.