Key Club, unlike most other clubs at Free State, is an international organization devoted to helping people get involved in volunteer work and fundraisers.

The club is the high school version of an adult group called Kiwanis.
“Kiwanis is led by business leaders all across the nation. It’s basically just a group of people who focus on doing volunteer things for the community like fundraising and cleaning up neighborhoods, and Key Club is the junior version of that,” Larson said. “They even have a college version of that called Circle K, so if you’re a member of Key Club, you can keep doing it on into college and even when you’re a grown-up into Kiwanis.”

Key Club works with specific national organizations and local community groups. The club has recently worked with Boys and Girls Club, Lawrence Interfaith Nutritional Kitchen and Chocolate and Tea at 3.
Key Club’s most recent endeavor was a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. The fundraiser was called Pennies for Patients. Club members set up a booth in the lunch room asking students and faculty to donate to the cause.
“We’re going to be having a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network coming up here sometime before the end of the school year,” Larson said.

Because it is an international organization, students must pay to be an official member.
“It’s just  $11 per year, and that helps keep the organization going. It’s well respected throughout the entire country and also opens up scholarship opportunities to students who have lots of volunteer hours with the club,” said Larson.

Students only have to pay to be on the charter as an official member of Key Club. If a member doesn’t pay, he or she can’t use the club on a resume.

“You can still go to any events that Key Club does if you need volunteer hours, but you can’t say you’re a member of Key Club unless you pay,” Vice President Calvert Pfannenstiel said.

“I’ve had interviews for colleges and I always mention Key Club,” senior member Ashley Russell said. “Especially for the sophomores, I recommend taking it because I’ve gotten all of my volunteer hours for college in the club. It’s really helpful and it’s really fun. You meet a lot of people.”

Key Club meets once every two weeks at 3:15 on Tuesdays in the library classroom.