LEWISTON – The Auburn Lewiston Kiwanis Club will mark its founding at an 85th anniversary celebration at its weekly luncheon on Wednesday, May 16, at noon at the Ramada Inn.

The club was founded in 1922 under the leadership of its first president, Charles R. Williamson, of the firm Ault-Williamson. The YMCA was the first host location for the club, which boasted 58 charter members. The Auburn Lewiston club was the second Kiwanis club to be organized in Maine and was sponsored by the Portland club.

Patti Gagne, current club president, invites all current and former Kiwanis members to gather as the club takes a walk down memory lane.

The Kiwanis mission is premised upon volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

The first Key Clubs in New England were organized in 1945 and 1946 at Edward Little High School and at Lewiston High School. Currently, Key Club is active at Lewiston and St. Dominic Regional High School, promoting youth leadership development and community service.

Continuing the mission of the Kiwanis Club, two endowment funds were created by Ben Jones and Dr. Merrill Greene. Both funds continue to generate support to youth of the Auburn-Lewiston communities. Charter member Ben Jones bequested funds that initially supported a dental clinic at the Central Maine General Hospital, as noted in the 50th celebration report in 1972.

A tradition for 50 years, the all-you-can-eat Kiwanis pancake breakfast, scheduled for June 10, provides funds that support museum passes at the public libraries, a reading program at the Longley School, an audiometer for Head Start, eyeglasses for students and other community services.

For more information on the Kiwanis Club, call Craig Phillips at 795-6044, ext. 2.