OFA Key Club students give back to community

Key Club, a service-leadership organization partnered with Kiwanis International, is one of the largest service programs for high school students. Founded in 1925 and with as many as 5,000 clubs worldwide, Key Club members perform more than 12 million service hours each year.

In Owego, N.Y., the Owego Free Academy (OFA) Key Club plays an integral role in providing volunteer service to the community.  

Owego Kiwanis Club President, Kathy Newell, shared, “The OFA Key Club brings enthusiasm, spirit and a fresh outlook, and students learn the act of service from our lead.”

Newell continued, “I cannot imagine a community without service-minded volunteers willing to go the extra mile for people in need. The hope is that Key Club members will someday be active Kiwanis members in Owego, or wherever they choose to live.”

Key Club members don’t just do service, they also have fun. Making new friends, attending meetings and networking, as well as participating in social events are just several ways students interact with the community. OFA Key Club members are asked to perform a minimum requirement of community service hours each year of membership to receive credit and acknowledgement for their work.

The Kiwanis Club of Owego meets every Thursday at noon at the Parkview, located at 145 Front St. in Owego, N.Y., where Key Club members are welcome. Newell explained that the meetings are open to all visitors as well as potential new members.

OFA senior, Ethan Pryor, started Key Club as a freshman, and this year he is the Key Club secretary. Pryor commented that his favorite project is a fall cleanup where he helps local residents with various tasks. 

Pryor, who genuinely enjoys helping others in need, commented, “Helping others is so important,” and went on to explain that even washing windows is rewarding because his efforts are appreciated.

OFA Key Club president and senior student, Erin Thalacker, and vice-president and junior student, Gracie Jensen, agreed that the fall cleanup project is one of their favorite activities, too, along with visiting residents at Riverview Manor. Key Club members have helped with several other projects such as highway cleanup, a Riverwalk cleanup, participation at December’s “Lights on the River” event, and serving dinners for various organizations, just to name a few.

Thalacker and Jensen, who also play on the girls’ basketball team, are two students who go the extra mile with their volunteer efforts. Recently, they volunteered a full Sunday to officiate and keep score at a youth basketball tournament and also coordinated a food drive at the same time. Later that same day, Jensen volunteered more time at a holiday dinner hosted by the YMCA.

Thalacker, who has participated in the OFA Key Club since her sophomore year, shared, “We have about fifteen members right now, from freshman to seniors.”

The week of Dec. 5-9 is Key Club Week at OFA, which will feature a different-themed-day each day. 

Monday is “Compliment Day,” where students are encouraged to say hello to someone they don’t know, and Tuesday is “Grateful Day,” where students can thank someone for a kind gesture and/or write about it. Wednesday promotes “Bring a Friend to Key Club” with donuts and hot chocolate, Thursday is set aside to “Do a Random Act of Kindness,” and concluding the week on Friday will be “Purple Day.”  

During Key Club Week, bracelets will be sold for $1 each with the imprinted message, “Dare to Care,” and proceeds will benefit the Tioga County Rural Ministry.

Jensen summed up the Key Club philosophy well, “It’s all about getting involved in the community. The more students we can pull in to help volunteer, the more events we can do, and then the bigger the impact will be.”