MADISON — On Thursday, March 27, Madison High School Key Club joined thousands of clubs worldwide in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Key Club International. With a strong legacy of student-led service, the club took this opportunity to recognize a century of impact and meaningfully give back to their local community.
Club members assembled and donated 50 “birthday kits” to the Interfaith Food Pantry as part of their celebration. Each kit contained cake mix, frosting, candles, plates, napkins, and decorations — everything needed to help a family celebrate a child’s birthday with joy and dignity. These kits will be distributed to local families facing food insecurity, ensuring every child feels special on their big day.
“Our members wanted to celebrate this milestone by doing something that would make a real difference,” said Madison Key Club Advisor Mary Beth Gabel. “The birthday kits are a simple but powerful way to bring joy to local families.”
Before the service project, members enjoyed a celebratory meeting with cake and a round of Key Club trivia. The room was filled with laughter, teamwork, and pride as students reflected on the club’s history and their own contributions to its ongoing legacy.
Key Club was founded in 1925 at Sacramento High School in California, making it the oldest and largest service program for high school students. Initially started by the local Kiwanis Club to promote leadership and community involvement among young men, it quickly became a coeducational, student-led organization with global reach. Sponsored by Kiwanis International, Key Club empowers high school students to become caring and competent servant leaders through volunteer service. Over the past century, Key Club has expanded to over 38 countries, with more than 200,000 members united by the mission to build a better world, one child and one community at a time.
Frank Cahill, Governor-Elect of the New Jersey District of Kiwanis International, praised the students’ efforts: “This generation of Key Club members continues to inspire us all. Their passion, creativity, and commitment to serving others is exactly what the next 100 years of Key Club should look like.”
Madison High School Key Club continues to embody that mission through hands-on service. The Madison-Chatham Kiwanis Club proudly sponsors the club. In New Jersey alone, there are 10,303 Key Club members across 147 clubs, divided into 21 districts. The New Jersey Key Club was officially established in 1947.
Frank Cahill praised the students’ efforts: “This generation of Key Club members continues to inspire us all. Their passion, creativity, and commitment to serving others is exactly what the next 100 years of Key Club should look like.”
