Carl Gordon, president of the Marquette Kiwanis Club, speaks during the club’s special event where over $22,000 was granted to various Marquette-area organizations at the Ramada Inn Monday evening. (Journal photo by Corey Kelly)

MARQUETTE — The Marquette Kiwanis Club granted over $22,000 in funds to various Marquette-area organizations at the Ramada Inn during a special event Monday evening.

“It’s a celebration giving back to the community,” said Carl Gordon, president of the Marquette Kiwanis Club. “All of these organizations in their own way give something back to the community. We are just honored to give them the means to do that.”

The Kiwanis is a community service organization whose mission is to serve the children of our community and the world.

Grant recipients from area organizations attended the catered event with hors d’oeuvres and a 50/50 bucket raffle. Gordon called each recipient to the podium to receive their funding and talk about their group’s project or organization.

Sue Hornbogen, president of the Marquette Regional History Center, accepted a grant that will help fund a special exhibit called “A Part of the Vote and Be Counted.” The exhibition, debuting sometime after September, will explore the importance of voting and the suffragette movement.

“Thank you very much. This will be a very nice exhibit and I invite everyone to come to see it,” Hornbogen told the crowd.

Nheena Weyer Ittner, executive director of the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum, accepted a grant on behalf of the 8-18 Media program and the children’s museum. Weyer Ittner thanked the Kiwanis for its continued support throughout the museum’s history.

“We always have changes at the children’s museum, and the Kiwanis has been a part of the world I live in every day since the very beginning,” Weyer Ittner said.

Other organizations that received grant money were: Silver Creek Church; 2019 Project Graduation; 906 Adventure Team; Girl Scouts; Marquette Senior High School; Superiorland Soccer Association; Camp New Day; Marquette Symphony Orchestra; Articatz; Camp Star; Key Club; Kiddie Mutt Races; Bay Cliff Health Camp; Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice; Negaunee Senior Center; Care Clinic; The New Free Store; Trillium House; Women’s Center; NMU Cat Packs; Noquemanon Trail Network; Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee; and the Shiras Planetarium.

Corey Kelly can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is ckelly@miningjournal.net.