Citizens of the Year
For 23 years, the Edmonds chapter of the Pacific Northwest Kiwanis has honored a local citizen who stands out in service to the community. For only the second time in as many years the Citizen of the Year award for 2016 didn’t go to an individual; it went to a group. This year’s recipients of the award are members of the Edmonds Petanque Club, a group of community focused individuals who share the love of the French game of petanque.
“They (Edmonds Petanque Club) honor the precepts of Kiwanis and also to be working with children in the high school and the Boys and Girls Club” said Edmonds Kiwanis President Mary Lou Kantor. “Kiwanis is all about children and making a difference in their lives.”
Submissions for the award are taken throughout the year by both Kiwanis members and those in the community recognizing their friends and neighbors who look to improve and better the community. Kiwanis members look at several characteristics when choosing their Citizen of the Year:
• To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.
• To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
• To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.
• To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
• To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.
• To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.
When Edmonds Petanque Club president Michelle Martin got the news earlier this year, she was excited that the group was to receive the recognition. “I was thrilled about it and it is a great honor for the members who make the Edmonds Petanque Club so exceptional.” Formed in 2010 with just eight players, the club now has a membership of 85 and organizes games each week. For those unfamiliar with the game it is of French descent and might best be compared to bocce ball. Players toss a “jack” into the field of play. They then stand feet together inside a small starting circle and toss larger “boules” (balls) at the jack with the person coming the closest earning points that round. “It is a very simple game to learn with a lot of strategy. All over France, in parks or the village squares, you will find people playing petanque. It is a social game or can be very competitive,” said Martin.
After becoming a certified nonprofit, members began to think of ways to not only spread their love of the game but to help out their community as well. The club partners with the local Boys and Girls Club and holds a six-week summer program teaching kids of all ages to play the game. They even partner with Edmonds sister city Hekinan, Japan and teach visiting students the basics of the French game.
Another event that helped earn the group the Citizen of the Year award is the annual Petanque tournament held each July. Since 2011, this event has raised $18,000 in cash donations as well as food donations from local businesses and organizations, benefitting the Edmonds food bank. The Bastille Day tournament is on July 10 at the Edmonds Civic Playfield where the group typically holds their weekly games. Whether new to the game or seasoned pro, all are encouraged to attend with prizes going to the top six finishers.
For those wanting to learn the game, new players are always welcome to stop by the Civic Playfield. Weekly organized matches happen at 10am and 1:30pm Saturdays, 1:30pm Sundays, and 1:30pm Wednesdays.
As winners of the 2016 Citizen of the Year award, members from the Edmonds Petanque Club were honored at a recent Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. The group received a dated plaque which is displayed inside the plaza at the Edmonds Museum. They will also be riding in the annual Edmonds Fourth of July parade. “I did not realize that a simple French game would help or change life to many people. It is so rewarding to help the community, the Edmonds Food Bank, and the kids. We have players of all ages that discover that new activity,” said Martin.
It’s organizations like the Edmonds Petanque Club that help keep this community great. The group could simply meet and enjoy the game they love but has chosen to share their passion with the community in teaching all ages and at the same time holding benefits that help out our local youth and most vulnerable. The selfless dedication to community is exactly what the Edmonds Kiwanis Club is looking for in its Citizen of the Year award. Congratulations go out to the Edmonds Petanque Club for 2016 and if you see a friend, neighbor, co-worker, organization or business you believe worthy of recognition, consider nominating them for the 2017 award.
