Around Town

Kiwanis Club of New Canaan Awards $16,000 to 25 Local Organizations

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Six years ago, the Kiwanis Club of New Canaan—a nonprofit organization whose mission is “serving the children of the world”—doled out $1,800 to seven local recipient groups in line with its cause, with monies coming from established, though limited, events such as the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. On Friday—thanks mostly to the more recent, very popular Zerbini Family Circus, which Kiwanis presents in conjunction with the New Canaan YMCA—Kiwanis was able to give nearly $16,000 to 25 organizations. According to 6-year Kiwanian David Hoyle, an attorney in town who helped host a gathering at the Y to mark the handing out of those funds, the circus “has really changed what we’re able to do.”

“We work really well with them and they do stuff that we can’t do and vice versa,” Hoyle said. “[YMCA Marketing Director] Kristina Barrett and [Kiwanian] Kathy Holland just do yeoman’s work.”
Local organizations receiving allocations include ABC House, CERT, Future 5, New Canaan Historical Society, Pesticide-Free New Canaan and Summer Theatre of New Canaan.

Around Town

New Canaan-Led Future 5 Connects Stamford Students with Colleges, Careers

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STAMFORD—If they hadn’t been so focused on what was happening inside the room here at 135 Atlantic St., Kyra O’Connor and the other 14 Stamford teens may have heard the swoosh of CT Transit buses pulling up below, at Veterans Park across the street, taking car-less city commuters to work or back home. Or they may have heard the thrum of skateboarding teens on their way to Stamford Town Center—the mall—an idle after-school destination for many students in this city. But not these kids. On the windowsill lay stacks of college and career guides, and their attention this Tuesday afternoon is directed toward the front of the room and New Canaan resident Clif McFeely, founder of Future 5. He’s leading a game of “Brain Wave,” a current events quiz where the kids earn points for good answers, and often, for very good tries.