Kiwanis Club of Cypress History

The formation of the Kiwanis Club of Cypress was initiated in November of 1950 and formalized by charter later the same year.

In the beginning, membership was comprised of farmers, dairymen, businessmen and professionals with membership growing to as large as 75 which allowed the club to purchase its own building.  The building was later sold and the proceeds formed the beginnings of today’s Kiwanis Foundation.

While we no longer have any of the original members nor as large a membership as in the early years, the current members continue to serve Cypress and build on its early foundations.

The Kiwanis Club of Cypress has been involved in many of the leading activities of the community that include the local 4-H Club, the “White Gold” (milk) parade, the annual picnic at Arnold Park, the election of a Miss Cypress K-Day Queen and a campaign called “Respect for Law & Order”.  The Kiwanis Club of Cypress is a founding member of the Cypress Community Festival which will celebrate its 32^nd 35^th 36th birthday this year and the 26th year since beginning began the Red Ribbon Week Essay Contest in the Cypress Elementary Schools.

Many of the other activities that the Kiwanis Club of Cypress is known for originated in those early years.  We likely rival McDonald’s service of hamburgers in the number of pancakes and sausages Cypress Kiwanians have flipped over the years in the cause of youth athletics, school programs, scout groups, and other organizations and events that have provided an avenue for the club to serve the community.

Some of the other activities with which the Kiwanis Club is involved include awarding scholarships to qualified graduating seniors from the local high schools in which we sponsor Key Clubs.  These Schools include Cypress, Los Alamitos, Magnolia and Oxford.  We also sponsor a scholarship at Cypress College and a performing arts scholarship as a part of the annual Cypress Celebrates the Arts program that is held in early spring.  The Club initiated sponsorship and participatation in the 2016 Speech and Debate program at Lexington Junior High School with the first ever mock speech and debate event participated in by over 60 students. Likewise, the Club co-sponsored the Every Student Succeeding breakfast with Rotary for the Cypress schools. Another innovative program begun in 2016 involves book donations to all Cypress elementary schools along with participation in Read Across America. The Club also makes direct donations to a variety of non-profit organizations who directly serve the youth of the community.

Cypress has evolved from a sleepy little farm town surrounded by dairy farms and strawberry fields to a community of nearly 50,000 that draws large crowds to its summer concert series.  If you have been in attendance, you likely have seen the Kiwanians flipping hamburgers and serving hotdogs.  Watch for postings for these concerts in late spring, bring your picnic blanket and chairs, purchase a hamburger or hotdog, chips, a drink and a dessert, and you too can be a proud supporter of the Cypress Community.

Across the last 62 65 66 years, the Kiwanis Club of Cypress has evolved to meet the changing needs of the community.  However, it remains as true today as it did in the beginning, Kiwanis is a “practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.”

The Kiwanis Club of Cypress is a member of Division 30 of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District of Kiwanis International, a global organization dedicated to changing the World One Child and One Community at a Time.

In continuing service to the Cypress community and in order to remain current, we rely heavily on new members who bring fresh ideas and new energy.  We make this our invitation to you, the parents to consider joining us and to you, the students, a future invitation to explore joining Key Club in high school as a way in which you can serve your community as well.updated 10/6/15, (updated 5/2016)