Judges Susan Holub, Carly and Troy Nicholas had a challenge choosing from the many costume participants at Newton Falls Kiwanis’s 98th Annual Cakewalk, on a beautiful autumn day. Thank you. Kiwanis would like to thank George and Mary Koutsounadis of Covered Bridge Inn; DJ Mindy Reed; Bob Burke at the P.A. system. We thank Newton Falls city workers, fire, street, and electrical departments for help with the scheduling set-up and break-down. Thank you to David Hanson for use of parking space for the club. We are delighted that NFHS Tiger Marching Band came to share several songs with us, and are happy they could stay for costume judging. Thank you, Director Hrdlicka. We introduced a new feature this year, sponsors of the arches, with signs made by Tim Heckathorn of Zip City Lazer.
We appreciate Newton Falls IGA and Shop ‘n Save for arranging for us to buy our decorative cakes this year. We thank members of Pastor Steve Spurlock’s First Baptist Church for their hot chocolate stand.
Thank you, businesses and friends who contributed over $2000 for the many prizes and gift certificates in the costume contest. There were some very creative costumes. Some of the favorites were the colorful foxface, the Wizard of Oz family (especially the witch and tinman), the Star Wars family, the Queen of Hearts, the King and Queen in royal robes, the deer and the hunter, little policeman, the Scooby Do gang, the princesses and ghouls, and the grand prize winner, the jellyfish.
For cash and/or gift certificates, we thank these community-minded, repeating prize donors: AAA I-76 Antique Mall in Rootstown, American Legion Post 236, AmVets Post 112, Anonymous donor, Anonymous Kiwanis member, Art Effects, Auto Smith, Benson’s B.S. and Collectibles, Borowski Memorial Home, Broad Street Vintage, Church Mouse, Clark’s Sweet Corn Farm on South Canal, Cole Valley Chevrolet, Covered Bridge Inn, Domino’s Pizza, Ella Johnson CPA, Faces Lounge, Fieldview Acres Mercantile, Rhonda at Gardenia Salon and Spa, Green and Golden Farm, Guns ‘n Hoses Café and Catering, Home Oil, James Funeral Home, John Nemet of Iron Eagle Recycling and K & K Market, Ted & Denise Kolacz, Lake Shore Insurance, Mi Amigo, Newton Falls Chiropractic, NF IGA, NF Shop ‘n Save, NF Subway, Ohio Tax Lady, Phillips Heating, Ron Platt CPA, P’nut Butter Cup Company, Wayne Richards, Rood’s Wallpaper & Paint, RS Imprints, Sam’s Pizza, Sew–N-Leather, Stow-It Storage, NF Taco Bell, Texas Roadhouse in Niles, Bill Vennette, VFW Post 3332, Judge Philip Vigorito, Lyle and Marilyn Waddell (supplies), Mary Ann Williamson. Bob & Kathy Wujcik, Cody Zeleny, Zip Lube (Stull Ventures).
New donors include Tarry and Rhonda Alberini, Neiss Recreation Park for Dogs, Steven Cutlip Excavating, and Zip City Lazer. Thank you to Kiwanis members for their visits to these businesses.
NF Kiwanis thanks our volunteers this year: Ted Kolacz, Mark Johnson, Denny Cottrill, Joe & Mary Lou Drotar O’Lear, Betsy Siman, Sue Davis, Diane Sturm, Nancy Hatcher, Cindy Matthews Wahl, Sherri Harrah, Angel Suarez, Duncan Shetterly, Pat Nutter, Patty Nolan, Michelle Ball, David McKinstry, Jakob Zimmermann, Kathy King, Donna Smith, NFHS National Honor Society members Harley Pemberton, Blaine Prout, and William Medved. We recently welcomed the former Western Reserve (Hiram) Kiwanis Club into our fold, and thank our new members Rob Dempsey and Tom Bollenbacher for learning about and participating in our cakewalk. We also thank Marjorie Cacheleux from France, a Fulbright scholar attending Hiram College, who distributed gift cards.
Thank you, everyone, for caring about our community’s young people, and see you next year!