Education
Local Kiwanis Club’s donation empowers LHS Key Club to expand service
Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Kiwanis Club Point of the Mountain presented a special financial donation to the Lehi High School Key Club to support upcoming community service projects.
Lehi High School Key Club members provided service during Round Up Week in June to ensure the success of the Kiwanis Club’s breakfast fundraiser at Wine’s Park. Their hands-on volunteer efforts culminated in the $1,786 donation, highlighting a powerful partnership between the two community organizations.
Terry Hirtz, a Kiwanis board member, organized the fundraising breakfast for Round Up Week. He noted that “the support of the students contributed to the organization and ultimate success of the event.”
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time. The Kiwanis Club Point of the Mountain was officially launched in June 2026.
“We provide service opportunities and opportunities to gain leadership experiences. We are here to train and mentor the Key Clubs and help them become service providers in the community, said Point of the Mountain chapter president, Crystal Smith. “We support the Key Clubs at both high schools in Lehi.”
Key Club is an international student-led organization that gives members opportunities to serve, build character and develop leadership. Kiwanis International created the student-led organization. A local Kiwanis Club directly sponsors every high school Key Club, and its members act as advisors, mentors, and financial supporters to help the student clubs run service projects.
Pam Gordon, the Key Club Advisor at Lehi High School, said, “I love the connection with the students, and I enjoy helping them get excited about serving and developing leadership skills that will carry over for the rest of their lives. About 40 students attend club meetings. The students are amazing.”
Both organizations focus on community service, leadership building, and helping children, though Key Club is run entirely by students.
Working together helps Key Club members and sponsoring Kiwanis International clubs share resources, mentorship, and community impact.
“This donation shows that we are truly here to give our support,” said Smith. “The Kiwanis Club Point of the Mountain actively supports local youth service organizations, including the Key Clubs at Lehi High School and Skyridge High School. We aspire to help with all their service projects and to give support in any way we can, not just with monetary donations but with anything that is needed.”
“This donation is exciting for Kiwanis; it is a reminder that we are here to help future generations who will make a difference in our society. It’s a great feeling to be a part of this endeavor,” concluded Smith.
Key Clubs are important because they transform community service from a graduation requirement into a lifelong civic habit. As the oldest and largest student-led service organization for high schoolers, Key Club provides a structured environment where students don’t just “do” community service—they learn how to lead it.
Sophia Scoresby, Key Club President at Lehi High School, was thrilled to receive the donation and looks forward to the meaningful projects it will enable the Key Club to pursue.
“As members of the Key Club at Lehi High School, we run and organize the club and figure out service activities we can do to help the community and the school,” said Scoresby. “A priority is to get the students to work together and serve the community. We want to spread goodness and get people to love service and develop leadership skills.”
Donations from Kiwanis allow high school Key Clubs opportunities to expand their community service impact.
“This donation will really help us in organizing more service activities,” said Scoresby.
She continued, “My favorite part of being president of the club is the service; we did a few service activities last year that were so fun. We could see the outcome and how the activities impacted the community, and we got involved and learned about those who live in Lehi. Working together and serving is so fun. It helps you feel good and more confident when you serve others.”
Gordon recalled a rewarding community service project that not only made a meaningful difference but also became a favorite among the students.
“The activity that the Key Club enjoys is the wheelchair basketball game, which started about four years ago,” said Gordon. “This activity is an inclusive basketball game pairing our students with a visiting wheelchair basketball team. All participants compete using wheelchairs, and it is such a fun event. All the funds raised from the basketball game are donated to support the wheelchair team’s travel and operational costs.”
By sponsoring and investing in student-led groups like Key Club, adult mentors help teens build character, learn the value of service and gain real-world leadership experience.
Donated funds support student leadership service projects organized by the LHS Key Club.
