Look for the Noon Kiwanis Club concession stand at Friday’s Fourth of July celebration.

Fountain Park will be bustling with activities and fireworks, and the Noon Kiwanis will be a part of it.

The fundraising booth will be offering cotton candy, nachos and jumbo pretzels.

Because of its year-long fundraising activities, the club the past few months has been awarding grants to other non-profits such as Extended Hands Food Bank, Soccer Club, Fountain Hills Theater, Project Linus, Mentoring Program, Flags for Our Fallen, Junior Achievement, Boys & Girls Club, FHUSD Summer School scholarships, Save the Family and others.

Graduating FHHS seniors Sean Loving and Allie Bice were the recipients of club $1000 scholarships given out in late May.

The Kiwanis mission is “serving the children of the world.”

“Certainly part of that mission is financially assisting other groups who benefit youths in some manner,” said club President Mike Scharnow.

“However, we are far from just being a check-writing club.”

The club has ramped up its hands-on service projects considerably the past few years, Scharnow added, and that will continue to be the club’s focus into the future.

Nine club members – the largest group from one club – traveled to Kamp Kiwanis in New Mexico in May for a work weekend.

Participants included Gary Oakeson, Larry Spade, Paul Appeldorn, Rick Swanson, Ken Kubischta, Brian Sullivan, Jerry Comeau, Bill Jaeger and Alan Roselieb.

The club collected 126 cases of bottled water and delivered them to the Phoenix Rescue Mission in late May.

The mission assists the homeless population with meals three times a day, seven days a week.

The contingent also stayed and served lunch that day at the mission – Scharnow, Jo Nelson, John Rosenquist, Don Williams, Jon Geller and Betty Pantuso.

“It was a humbling experience to drop off that water in this heat and then serve lunch to these destitute folks,” Scharnow said.

“I’m glad our club could help in the manner in which it did.”

Noon Kiwanis, in collaboration with its Aktion Club – a group formed at a Scottsdale day facility for disabled adults – has been collecting toiletry items for donation to UMOM, a residential facility that works with families looking to break the cycle of homelessness.

The group dropped off the items June 26 and performed a service project on campus.

The community blood drive held June 20-21 was coordinated by Noon Kiwanians Paul Appeldorn and Dr. Liz Smith.

Several Kiwanis volunteers worked the event, and 137 units of blood were collected over the two days.

Two more blood drives are planned for 2014.

During July, Noon Kiwanis will be collecting school supplies for donation to foster kids involved with Devereux Arizona, a non-profit agency.

“As you can see, we are busy and we are committed to helping serve children when and where we can,” Scharnow said.

“This is what we do and this is what sets us apart.”

The group’s next luncheon meeting is at 12 noon Thursday, July 3, at the Kiwanis Activity Center, 16957 Kiwanis Drive. Guests are welcome to enjoy a free lunch and learn more about Noon Kiwanis.

Additional information is available by contacting Scharnow at 837-9856 or visiting www.fhkiwanis.org and searching for Fountain Hills Noon Kiwanis on Facebook.