Former Kiwanis Club of La Cañada president Mary Gant (shown above at right) accepted the Distinguished Club award from Past Division 3 Lt. Governor Cathy Keen at the May 8 regular luncheon meeting of the club held at Van de Kamp Hall in Descanso Gardens. The award was made to the club for the 2011-12 year in which Gant served as president. The club received a special banner patch from Kiwanis International. Club members also donated $500 to the Eliminate program through a special Mother’s Day card sale. Eliminate is a program developed by Kiwanis to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus around the world. Gifts as little as $18 can save the lives of 10 mothers and their future children.

In partnership with UNICEF, Kiwanis is eliminating MNT, a disease that kills one baby every nine minutes, by vaccinating women of child-bearing age. UNICEF and its partners have already eliminated MNT in 20 countries, and Kiwanis’ pledge to raise $110 million will help fund the elimination of the disease in the countries that remain at risk.

Courtesy Al Restivo, Kiwanis Club of LC