Definition of giving: Kiwanis hand out dictionaries

Christina Konz and Andrea Barrett compare what they've discovered in their new dictionaries handed out by the Le Mars Kiwanis Club. The club handed out dictionaries to third graders at all the county schools. [Click to enlarge]

All they have to do is flip open their new dictionary to find it.

The Le Mars Kiwanis Club handed out dictionaries to all third graders at Plymouth County schools this year.

Le Mars Police Officer Jay King, a representative of the Le Mars Kiwanis Club hands a dictionary to Kyle Schallau. The club gave dictionaries to all third graders throughout Plymouth County as part of its Dictionary Project. [Click to enlarge]

In all, more than 400 students received a dictionary. The Kiwanis Club handed them out at Le Mars Community, Gehlen Catholic, Remsen Union, Remsen St. Mary's, Kingsley-Pierson, Hinton and Akron-Westfield.

The Dictionary Project started last year. The Kiwanis handed out the reference book to all Le Mars Community and Gehlen Catholic School third graders.

"After it went so well, we decided to spread it out, so we contacted all the schools in the county," said Jay King, Kiwanis member.

Curtis Kunkel, a third grades student, who received a dictionary from the Le Mars Kiwanis Club. The Dictionary Project gave dictionaries to every third grader throughout the county. [Click to enlarge]

They more than doubled the number of dictionaries handed out.

The project started as part of a larger effort sponsored by the regional Kiwanis group. In 2007, the Iowa-Nebraska division of Kiwanis made handing out dictionaries its project for the year.

The local Kiwanis Club raises money for projects like this by running the donut shop at the Plymouth County Fair and holding pancake suppers.

Caden Washburn learns something new in the dictionary he recieved from the Le Mars Kiwanis Club. The club handed out more than 400 dictionaries in Plymouth County. [Click to enlarge]

All money it s and any donation it receives goes back to the community.

The Le Mars chapter gives out thousands of dollars every year, contributing to groups like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, the local ambulance services, the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence and 4-H.

The Kiwanis club is always looking for new members.

It meets at 7a.m. every Tuesday in the Floyd Valley Hospital conference room.

King said he was glad the local Kiwanis Club decided to carry on the Dictionary Project this year.

Will it continue? King hopes so.

"This is something no one else is doing," he said. "And our motto is to serve the children of the world, so this helps."