Exchange Club of Belleville celebrates 75 years
The National Exchange Club has been referred to as the Community Service Club of America since formed in 1911 in Detroit, Michigan. The Exchange Club name was established based on the agenda to exchange ideas on how to improve and serve the community. Since then, hundreds of clubs have been established with thousands of men and women who serve their community.
The Exchange Club of Belleville, established in 1946, celebrated its 75th anniversary serving the Belleville area community this August. Some of the activities the Belleville Club has done for decades – you may have noticed but weren’t sure who did them – are the Belleville Square Christmas and Easter decorations and the Belleville Oktoberfest.
Other noteworthy projects include the Firefighters Appreciation and Awards Dinner, the Police and Sheriff’s Department Appreciation and Awards Dinner, Christmas Food Baskets to the Needy, financial support to the Interfaith Food Pantry, the East and West High School Proms, SWIC Scholarship for a Child Care/Counseling Degree, Scouts, Humane Society, CASA, Give a Kid a Flag, Senior Services, and more have been added or deleted over the years.
The primary goal of the National Exchange is the prevention of child abuse by supporting the numerous child abuse prevention centers across this nation. The Belleville Exchange Club is and all-volunteer, non-profit organization that supports all of its projects through fundraising programs and donations.
The Friday night Exchange bingo at the C.K. & L. of I. has for decades provided all the funds needed for these programs and many more. Bingo attendance depleted so significantly over the last decade that most churches and charitable organizations had to terminate bingo as a fundraiser. Now the primary fundraiser for the club is the Belleville Oktoberfest. The Exchange Club of Belleville hopes you will come down to the Oktoberfest Sept. 17-18 to support not only the Exchange Club, but also the Shriners and Sister Cities fundraisers.
Those who wish to become members or volunteers to any of these great community service organizations, should contact members at their food or beer stands. Contact the Belleville Exchange for more information and a member will be in contact.
Ron Wodarczyk had been a member of the Exchange Club of Belleville since 1991. He’s been the organization’s president three times and its newsletter editor/publisher for three years.