The Martensville & District Kinsmen Club are a well-known part of the community, taking part in many of the local events, donating to numerous organizations and always willing to step up and help those in need.
Originally founded in 1920, Kin Canada Clubs have become an integral part of communities across the country. Kin Canada is an all-Canadian service organization that consists of men and women volunteers aged 19 and up. The motto of Kin Canada is “Serving the Community’s Greatest Needs”, which they do through hosting and sponsoring events and community service projects.
In 2017, the Martensville & District Kinsmen donated an incredible $45,000. Donations were made to various organizations and clubs such as; The Children’s Wish Foundation, Dalmeny Fire and Rescue for the purchase of a new firetruck, the Martensville Free Pantry, Prairie Women on Snowmobiles, the annual Kinsmen High School bursary, the Kyle Syrenne Skatepark, Buster Days, Telemiracle and the 574 “Dakota” Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, and more.
Money that gets donated is raised through the countless hours of volunteer time put in by each of the members each year. “All of our members tally our monthly community hours that we work for the Kinsmen and it works out to be approximately 1200 hours annually,” James Dietrich of the Martensville & District Kinsmen Club stated. Some examples of how the Kinsmen raise money or contribute to their communities is by working numerous pancake breakfasts each year, blood donor clinics, contributing their time to various events within the communities where help is required and much more. The Kinsmen Club have often been contacted to help run drink services, work door prize tables, raffle tables, etc. at local events in exchange for a donation. “People often look at hiring companies or individuals to come work their events, but we are another option for them. With us, the money that is donated to us will go straight back into the community,” explained Dietrich.
One of the newest and most popular events the Kinsmen do is the annual ‘Chicken and Chuckles’ night, which will be held Saturday, February 17th at the North Ridge Community Centre in Martensville. “This year marks our third year doing this and we have three amazing Saskatchewan comedians coming this year that are definitely going to make us laugh,” Dietrich said. Last year, a total of 240 people came out to the annual event, and this year, the Kinsmen are hoping to increase that number to 300. Tickets to the event are $25, which includes one basket of wings and entertainment. Proceeds from the event will go towards TeleMiracle 42, which is one of the main events for the Club. Each year, the Martensville & District Kinsmen Club contributes to TeleMiracle by offering their services for all of the transportation required for everyone involved in the huge Saskatchewan event, whether it is in Regina or Saskatoon.
The local Kinsmen Club, which currently consists of 16 members, has been in existence for the past 25 years and throughout this time, they have been a huge contributing factor to Martensville and the surrounding communities that they serve, raising and donating a whopping total of $875,000 over the years. Dietrich, who joined the Kinsmen approximately four years ago, first became interested in joining as his children were growing older and didn’t require as much time. “I needed to do something and I always thought it was something that I would be interested in. I went to my first meeting and I recognized what these guys do, and I just knew that it was something that I wanted to be involved with.” Approximately half of the current group consists of relatively new members, which creates a nice balance within the service group. “It is a new, young group and these guys bring in tons of energy and a lot of great ideas,” Dietrich added.
For more information about the local Kinsmen Club, find them on Facebook under ‘Martensville & District Kinsmen’, or contact Arnie Deschner at adeschner@sasktel.net.
