Back to Home page NEWSLETTER Cedar Rapids Downtown Kiwanis Club Wednesday, April 2, 2008 The meeting was called to order by President Kelly Moore. 25 members in attendance. Guests: Brian Davis (Kevin Carlson) – Brian is with Securian Advisors MidAmerica, Inc. located at 1327 Boyson Rd. Birthdays: None Anniversaries: None Announcements: 1. Families Helping Families Gala event is April 19, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Nine members have signed up. The sheet will go around again today.
2. John Locher reminded everyone that Kiwanis One Day is this Saturday, April 5. We will be painting a room at the McAuley Center. We have about 10 signed up.
3. Kelly Moore made two announcements regarding the board meeting but I only caught one: we approved $500 to support the Johnson School of the Arts playground project.
4. June 9 is the state Kiwanis golf outing at Adel. Starts at 9:00 a.m.
5. Ron Sundermann announced a fundraising opportunity with a company that pays for old cell phones. If any members have one or several, let him know.
6. Bob Dye passed around an old program showing Bob in his Wonder Bread years along side canoes that the Kiwanis Club had purchased for Youth for Christ. He said they are available to the Club members if anyone is interested in a float trip.
7. Kiwanis Skip a Meal is the last week in April. Members donate the meal money to the Kiwanis International Foundation that in turn, uses it to help needy children around the world. More info will be coming.
8. Jeff Hollingsworth reminded everyone of the April 10 social meeting for the new Hiawatha Club that Byron Tabor is starting. Good interclub opportunity. Starts at 5:00 p.m. at the Hiawatha Community Center. Happy Bucks: Fran – cause she can see again with new glasses; Don G – cause being a NorDakotian, he’s proud of the Fargo Club’s world record 34,818 pancakes and he also was a buck happy because of 15 yr long April Fool’s joke with door hinges removed in his family; Chuck – cause he couldn’t let Don G. be the only happy NorDakotian; Kevin Carlson – cause spring football is here; Dan B – cause his parents are back and SO HAPPY to see him; Charlene – cause she’s happy to be back and once again reunited with her son (although she didn’t say that in so many words); Dick Boardman – cause he was speechless about seeing his son again; Jim Platt – cause Barak Obama is Ch. 32 at 5:00 p.m. tonight; and Jim Moriarity – cause he received a surprise check from a client that he didn’t expect to hear from, especially with money. Upcoming programs: April 9 – CR Public Library;
April 16 – Museum of Hope;
April 23 – TBA;
April 30 – Aaron Green. Speaker: Bob Dye introduced Roger Cassill, with Cassill Motors. Roger gave a great talk on his son, Landon, and the experience of hitting the big time in NASCAR racing. Landon is currently with the Hendrick Motor Sports team which includes Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhart Jr and Jimmie Johnson, not bad company. At the age of 16 Landon won a GM contest against 16 of the youngest and most promising drivers in America which has catapulted him into the upper echelon of NASCAR. He will be racing in the 2008 Nationwide Series which is a ˝ step below the Sprint Car Series. This past year Landon test drove all the cars raced by Gordon and Johnson which earned him a championship ring as part of the winning team. Landon bought a house in North Carolina where he works. His grandmother has moved to live with him since he’s only 18 and Roger didn’t want him down there alone. He’s making a 7 figure salary but Roger has him on a fairly meager allowance.
The main theme throughout Roger’s talk was the relationship he and his family have and how close he and Landon are because of the time spent on the road. The entire family went to every racing event throughout Landon’s career, spending countless hours in the motor home. Roger introduced Landon to go karts which led to legends cars, modified cars and now to the top.
What a great story! Word for the day: Don submitted “bourse” and lo and behold, Ron Sundermann guessed correctly. Sorry Ron but you did surprise us on this one. Def: An exchange, or place of meeting for merchants; the money-market (of a foreign town). Used esp. of the French institution corresponding to the Stock exchange in London. Submitted: Dan Breitbach | 