Distant clubs answer common call to serve

Forget cultural boundaries. Forget language barriers. Forget oceans, miles, and kilometers that separate nations. When the Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, learned about needs in the Czech Republic, it acted like any good neighbor would, working alongside the Kiwanis Club of Luna Louny, Czech Republic, to serve a community.

The clubs’ relationship began in 2002 after floods ravaged the Czech Republic and the Milwaukee club sent US$2,000 through the Luna Louny club to renovate the Egon Schiele Art Center in Cesky Krumlov.

“The wife of one of our members shares an office with the son of a Luna Louny Kiwanian,” explains Milwaukee Kiwanian Harvey Kurtz. “The son told her his mother’s club was trying to raise money for the children’s art center, the wife told her Kiwanian husband, and since our club had extra money in our budget, we sent it.”

In 2003, Luna Louny Kiwanian Alexandra Sukova went to Milwaukee to visit her son—and thank the Milwaukee club.

“During her ‘thank-you’ to us, she invited our club to visit the Czech Republic. We surprised her by taking her up on the offer,” Harvey says.

Several Milwaukee Kiwanians and their spouses called on the Luna Louny club and five other Czech Republic clubs in 2004.

“In Luna Louny, Alexandra arranged for us to stay with Kiwanians in their homes,” Harvey says, “and we toured Zatec Hospital’s pediatric ward—a service focus for the Luna Louny club.

“I’ve done a lot of traveling, but this trip to the Czech Republic certainly was one of the best. We were amazed by how much enthusiasm was built in the clubs there. We saw so many young people in the clubs, full of energy and busy doing things. It was inspirational for us, and we went back to Milwaukee absolutely ecstatic about our experience.”

Upon their return, the Milwaukee club donated another US$2,000 through the Luna Louny club to the buy an infusion pump for the pediatric ward at Zatec Hospital and to help the Luna club’s hospital doll program.

“Our Kiwanis club has worked with the pediatric ward at Zatec Hospital for a long time. We regularly donate dolls, and we’ve purchased hypoallergenic quilts,” Alexandra Sukova says. “Thanks to the Milwaukee club’s donation, our club can spread its production to other hospitals and make more children happy.”

But the relationship between the Milwaukee and Luna Louny club is about much more than money.

“The donation is a great help, but what I consider more important is our friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding—which pulls down the borders between the people and nations,” Alexandra says. “For our new Kiwanis clubs, it is a brilliant motivation and recognition that Kiwanis is really one, big family around the world.”

Harvey says the clubs continue to keep in touch and the Milwaukee club hopes to host Luna Louny Kiwanians in the future.