Key Club is an international program that helps kids expand their leadership skills and build character. Students learn how to be more confident and to become better members of the community. The program helps students do community service and promote school spirit.

Key Club is one of the largest high school service organizations in the United States. The small idea turned into something so big that in 1998, the organization raised $1.2 million for UNICEF. Their most recent project helped raise money to eliminate tetanus in infants, raising over $5 million for Kenyan families.

Santa Fe High offers a chapter of this club. Key Club has been a part of the school since at least 1963. But many wonder, what exactly is Key Club, and what do they do? No, they don’t make keys. The answer can be found in their mission statement: “Key Club is an international student-led organization which provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership.”

Anna Wechsler, a Key Club member, said she “enjoy[s] being able to help out the community.”

Key Club was started in 1925 in Sacramento, Calif., by two high school administrators who wanted to expand the global service network of Kiwanis to younger people. (Kiwanis is like Key Club, but for older people.)

Exactly how do they do this? SFHS’s Key Club is one of the busiest clubs on campus. Members are always working on some sort of project to raise money for a cause or volunteer in the community. According to club sponsor Ms. Garcia, here is a list of some projects and events the club has been involved in over the past five months:

From June through August, members worked over 40 hours, volunteering at least twice a week, to build both Tio Coco and Zozobra. Members then gave another 16 hours setting up and working these events.

From June through July, members helped plan and prepare for the Fourth of July firework display, working over 20 hours. They packed the actual fireworks, held events at the grandstand, and held a cupcake walk for children, making over 60 cupcakes to give away. They also started a new tradition of a tamale-eating contest called, “I ate the whole tamale on the 4th July in Santa Fe,” which was a huge success.

Key Club held a tailgate party on Oct. 5 to thank Kiwanis for over 30 years of leading the SFHS Key Club and others. Ten hours of planning and prep went into this event, and at least 15 members from Kiwanis attended.

The club recently finished up a breast cancer fundraiser where students made pink ribbons, sold pink lemonade, and held a raffle, raising $385. The money was donated at the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk in Albuquerque, where several SFHS members also walked.

On Oct 20, five members helped out with the “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.”

The club also just finished up a school food drive, collecting 287 cans for Adelante, which helps out homeless SFPS students.

Club meetings are held in A-208 on Mondays during lunch.