• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Having Fun!We Are Generous!We Are Presidential!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Noon Kiwanis Makes a Difference for Local Children

By Wendy Weichenthal on April 3, 2023

Decorative
Tammi Cowell and Ellen Messenger smile at the 2023 Kiwanis Pancake Day.

For more than 60 years, Marion Noon Kiwanis has held its annual Pancake Day, flipping thousands of flapjacks to raise funds for children’s causes. The most recent event served up pancakes for more than 1,000 people.

“It is great to see the community come together. From our sponsors to our volunteers to our attendees, it is a great day full of food, family and fun!” said Christy Neff, president of Marion Noon Kiwanis. “It’s a Marion tradition!”

girls in shimmery lavender dresses addorned with purple feathers dance in unison on a stage at the event.

Dennis Swartz organizes the entertainment, from toddler tots in dance routines from groups including the Martha Douce Studio, Diverse Moves, St. Mary’s School and the Marionaires Barbershop Group, with some members in their 90s. Each group volunteers their time and talents. Together, they raised $8,000 for children’s projects.

Three girls in colorful traditional clothes do a traditional Hispanic dance.
St. Mary’s School dancers

“We are so grateful to the community for it support. It is heartwarming to see so many come out and make a difference, year after year,” said Ellen Messenger, officer with Marion Noon Kiwanis.

Kiwanis History and Impact

Marion Noon Kiwanis was founded in 1921 by President-elect Warren G. Harding.

A group of about 20 Kiwanis members and guests smile. The presidential seal is visible on the floor.
Kiwanis members and guests toured the Harding Presidential Library and Museum.

Each year, the Marion Noon Kiwanis Foundation donates thousands of dollars to many causes, including college scholarships for local students, the Explore-It-Torium Children’s Museum, Cents for Shoes, the Peanut Butter Jelly Truck and more local nonprofits serving the community. They also sponsor more than a dozen local service projects.

Seniors from Harding and Pleasant High Schools spoke at a recent Kiwanis meeting.

In addition to the adult group which meets twice a month to learn about local activities, programs, and nonprofits, they also sponsor a Key Club for high school students at Marion Harding and a Circle K at Marion Technical College.

More Information

Marion Noon Kiwanis meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Women’s Club Home at 1126 E. Center St. in Marion. Anyone interested in the group is invited to visit a meeting.

For more information, visit facebook.com/marionnoonkiwanis or go to their website at https://MarionNoonKiwanis.com/.

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • Marion Offers Opportunities to Generations of the Cramer and Bosh Families

    Ron Cramer’s roots in Marion County run deep. His maternal grandfather, Don F. Bosh, worked at the Marion Power Shovel as a master machinist while living on a family farm in Iberia. Cramer remembers, as a 12-year-old, pushing a reel mower for six hours to cut his great-grandfather’s grass at the family home in Marion […]Read More »
  • Brock Meadows

    BROCK MEADOWS. With a passion for helping people discover winning strategies that fit them personally–taking them from where they are, to where they want to be–Brock Meadows is a MarionMade success story in the fitness and nutrition world. Meadows’ entrepreneurial spirit started early. He graduated from Ridgedale in 1992 and Bowling Green State University in […]Read More »
  • Marion Campus Prairie: a Legacy of Conservation and Education

    A testament to perseverance, environmental stewardship, and community collaboration, The Ohio State University at Marion has long championed prairie conservation. The establishment of the campus prairie—now known as the Larry R. Yoder Prairie Learning Laboratory—began in the 1970s and has continued for over five decades, serving as a living laboratory for students, researchers, and nature […]Read More »
  • Graphic Packaging

    GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL. Graphic Packaging International, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a leader in packaging design and innovation. Our packaging is used by the world’s most recognized brands, making it likely you purchase numerous products weekly that are packaged in our containers–whether it is McDonald’s fries and chicken strips, or any number of packaged […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2026 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image