Kiwanis Club of Renton returns

The club had ended in 2023 after being a Renton mainstay for 93 years.

By Renton Reporter Staff • June 13, 2025 3:30 pm
Kiwanis Club of Renton President Kim-Khánh Văn (far left) says that the club will “continue our traditions of serving children and communities for the next 93 years. We invite the community to join us on this journey to serve our children and communities.” Courtesy photo
Kiwanis Club of Renton President Kim-Khánh Văn (far left) says that the club will “continue our traditions of serving children and communities for the next 93 years. We invite the community to join us on this journey to serve our children and communities.” Courtesy photo

Two years after its “sunset” in Aug. 2023, the Kiwanis Club of Renton has reached a new dawn and has been reestablished by South King County leadership and support from the community.

“I’m honored to have been mentored by Char Reginald, Randy Kruse, and Ann Sappleton during the re-establishment of the Kiwanis Club of Renton. Our leaders and mentors are truly here for the kids,” said Kiwanis Club President Kim-Khánh Văn, who is current Renton City Councilmember and a candidate for King County Council. “As a former child refugee from Vietnam, I see the value in the work that Kiwanis Club of Renton does for our Renton kids and Community and greater South King County communities, from hosting a clothing bank to scholarship programs to mentorships of our Key Clubs. We are fortunate to have the Kiwanis Club of Renton.”

In a press release, Văn gave her three main goals as KCOR president:

• Making sure that every child has access to Kiwanis Club of Renton’s programs and support.

• Creating a President’s Membership Scholarship Fund to bridge the financial gap for those members’ membership dues, where everyone is welcome here. Everyone can be a Kiwanian.

• Initiating and establishing the Key Club at Tally High School, as the only Renton public high school that doesn’t have a Key Club on their campus.

“I want to make sure we are inclusive in our outreach to emerging leaders for all backgrounds and learning abilities,” Văn said.

Kiwanis is a global nonprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. With the motto of “Servicing the Children of the world,” Kiwanis has thousands of chapters around the world with “445,167 members in counting, and 7,700,000 service hours were performed by the Kiwanis family each year.”

The Kiwanis vision is that “Kiwanis will be a positive influence in communities worldwide — so that one day, all children will wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them and provide the support they need to thrive.” For more information, visit kiwanis.org.