Special K

Members of the newly formed Circle K: (front) Alex Wawer, Ashley Fairfax, Katherine Strynatka, Karla Bray, Samar Ali; (back) Vikram Rai, Megan McInnis, Karie Bryenton, Jessica Garwood (Bruce Bottomley Photo)

While Circle K is one of oldest and largest university service and leadership clubs in the world, the Dalhousie chapter is just taking baby steps. Dal Circle K celebrated with a chartering banquet earlier this month.

Dr. Bonnie Neuman, vice-president of Student Services, and Mike Tipping, DSU president, attended the banquet to formally welcome Dal Circle K as a society. Many executive members of Kiwanis International, the sponsor of Circle K clubs, also took part.

Even though the society is brand new at Dal, members have been warming up to Circle K’s community service aims throughout the year.

“In October we did Trick or Eat with the student union... We ran around and collected non-perishable food items on Halloween night,” says Michael Kennedy, the newly minted Dal Circle K president and founder. “We raised 160 pounds of canned food items. That was our first big success. We were really excited about that.”

Dal Circle K pitched in to raise money for Spread the Net, as part of a campus challenge that brought Rick Mercer to campus and raised money for mosquito nets for Africa. Then, it partnered with Breaking Bread and raised $1,800, which will go towards the salaries of two teachers in Afghanistan.

“This year was mostly about building membership, so we haven’t had a whole lot of projects,” said Karla Bray, a 19-year-old member. “I think next year once we have more members we will be able to do a lot more.”

Upcoming plans are for Dal Circle K to partner with the Canadian Red Cross and Blood Services Canada to go to high schools and raise awareness about donating blood.

“I think that it is a really great organization and that it’s going to get a lot better as the years progress,” predicts Ms. Bray.