Members of the Exchange Club of Speedway honored its past presidents at a recent luncheon.
The club was started by members of the now defunct Westside Exchange Club. It was incorporated in 1985 as a local chapter of the National Exchange Club, which was formed in 1911.
Steve Baber, a charter member and the first president of the club here, was among those attending. He served as president from August 1985 to July ‘87.
Jim Standish, another charter member attending, was the first president elect and served from 1987 to ‘88.
The club soon built membership to 25 and had an annual budget of $5,000.
Sue Eicks, the first lady member, served as president in 1993. She was also at the homecoming event.
The presidents attending shared events and projects from their past terms. The “Sunshine Special” was an early favorite event where members picked up underprivileged children and took them to basketball or hockey games.
Around holiday times, the club furnished fruit baskets to needy families. Later, a “Clothe-a-Child” program developed where members took needy children to stores and outfitted them with clothing for the holidays.
Support of the Children’s Bureau’s Family Support Center developed and is still supported today as part of the club’s efforts to stop child abuse.
Fundraisers to support various community outreaches ranged from golf outings to Zup’s Lift to garage sales. Today the club raises money with three main events: Zup’s BBQ for Kids on Monument Circle, a Luck of the Irish reverse raffle, and Golf for Kids at the Brickyard Crossing golf course the week before the Indianapolis 500 race.
The club supports the community in various ways including a firefighter and police officer awards dinner; youth awards presented at four high schools; Proudly We Hail awards given for flying the American flag; distributing about 6,000 flags in the 4th of July parade in Brownsburg; presentation of the “Freedom Shire” to schools; and donating more than $70,000 to the Gene Glick Family Support Center of the Children’s Bureau.
The next big event that is planned is “Breakfast with Santa” where 100 needy children will be invited to have Breakfast with Santa Claus and receive a gift from the club.
For more information about the Speedway Exchange Club, visit the website at www.exchangeclubofspeedway.org, or contact club president Jack Springer by calling 328-8569 or by e-mailing to jackspringer@comcast.net.
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