Serving The Community’s Greatest Need

The Association of Kinsmen Clubs of Canada was founded on Feb. 20, 1920 in Hamilton, Ontario by Harold A. Rogers O.C., O.B.E. (1899-1994). Rogers, a young plumbing supply salesman, had just returned from the trenches of the First World War when he began recruiting support for a modest project. Nine-year-old Pak Tai Yong was living in a barrel and foraging for scraps in Hamilton?s Gore Park when Rogers and his friends came to his rescue. Later this small group of men gathered for a dinner meeting and became the first Kinsmen Club. Today more than 9,000 members now belong to 623 Kin clubs from coast to coast.

Kin clubs undertake a wide variety of local fundraising and service projects. Our motto – “Serving the Community’s Greatest Need” – means that each club determines how it will raise funds and how those funds will be spent in the community.

Since 1964, the Kinsmen and Kinettes’ national fundraising project involves supporting the work of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF). Kin are also active from coast to coast promoting a variety of national pride initiatives designed to give Canadians the opportunity to demonstrate that they are proud of their country. For example, Kinsmen and Kinettes annually spearhead Raise the Flag Day, a patriotic event encouraging Canadians everywhere to raise and fly the Canadian flag.

Every year, Kin clubs contribute millions of dollars to Canadian communities with all monies raised in the community, staying in the community. Kin clubs raise more service dollars per member than any community service organization in the world and last year it came to more than $25 million; to say nothing of the countless hours spent planning and carrying out the many fundraising and service projects.

The National Association does not any receive money raised in the community. Kin Headquarters and its programmes and services are financed through the members’ annual dues along with some revenue from such activities as the internal sales division.

Kin Canada raises on average $1 million a year for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, making Kin the largest single fundraising organization for CF research in the world.

At the local level, The Kinsmen Club of Fonthill & District was founded in 1951 and has been consistently active ever since. From the first donation of a sewing machine to A. K. Wigg School and the sponsorship of the Victoria Day Parade in 1952 to our most recent donations of $50,000 to the Meridian Community Centre sponsorship of the Kinsmen Community Room and $8500 to Pelham Cares.

As well as regularly supporting the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Pelham Minor Sports, Special Olympics Welland, Niagara Children’s Safety Village, Wellspring Niagara, local High School Scholarships, the Welland Hospital and other “as per ask” charitable causes, the Fonthill Kinsmen donate their time to such events as the Fonthill Canada Day festivities, Pelham Citizen of the Year, the Pelham Food Drive and the annual Kinsmen Seniors Christmas Party which we have been hosting free of charge to area seniors since 1962.