Larry Graves, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Woodside Terrace, A.M., was recognized with the Bert Shoemaker Award during the Awards Luncheon at the 2022 Cal-Nev-Ha Kiwanis District Education Convention in Indian Wells, California.
Larry first joined Kiwanis in 1971 and was recently honored with the Kiwanis International Legion of Honor Certificate for 50 years of service to Kiwanis.
According to Club President Sandy Farley, “Through all those years, Larry has always been a major contributor to Kiwanis. He has served in almost every role imaginable . . . and [is our] general go-to man.”
Time and time again Larry leads by example, often being the first to volunteer for service projects and fundraisers. He never says no and doesn’t let his age stop him. At 88, you can still find him working alongside club members and Key Clubbers at their monthly gardening project, pulling weeds and cleaning the park.
For more than 30 years, Larry organized the club’s July 4th carnival fundraiser and currently co-chairs the club’s annual crab cioppino fundraiser. For more than ten years, Larry took the lead in the club’s participation in Special Games, an annual event that provides a fun and competitive day of activities for kids in Santa Clara County who are in the Adaptive Physical Education program. He has also been Inter-club Chairman for years and made it a point to complete his own personal “Round Robin” each year until the pandemic struck.
Larry is deeply committed to Kiwanis and the objects of Kiwanis. He has been recognized with division, district and international awards including the George F. Hixson Award, Distinguished Kiwanian Award, Distinguished Service Award, International Tablet of Honor, Mort Korngold Award, and Dunlap Fellowship Award.
In addition to being committed to serving his community, Larry is committed to having fun. According to his club president, Larry is a master at digging up interesting and challenging trivia questions for their club’s trivia contest, which raises funds for their administrative account. At board meetings, Larry often brings special treats… sweets, refreshments, and such. When the club was forced to meet via Zoom due to the pandemic, Larry brought “virtual” treats: a joke or two to keep the members smiling.
In her nomination letter, Farley said, “Larry is our own ‘Mr. Kiwanis.’ Kiwanis means so much to him. He was thrilled to receive his 50-year Legion of Honor certificate, and we know he will be thrilled if he was honored with this additional award!!” Join us in congratulating Larry on this well-deserved recognition!
About the Bert Shoemaker Award –
Each year, the CNH Children’s Fund solicits nominations for the award by providing every club president with a set of guidelines to be used in making their nominations. Kiwanians who have made a difference in their club, divisions, and communities are perfect candidates to be honored at the District Education Convention and awarded a plaque symbolic of their achievement.
The uniqueness of this award stems from the fact that it is always presented to a Kiwanian who has earned the love and respect of their fellow members by virtue of their dedication to the ideals of Kiwanis over a significant number of years. Because nominating a candidate is a simple, open process, this award has come to be recognized as the most prestigious of the many awards given at District Education Convention and the CNH Children’s Fund is proud to be the vehicle through which it is presented.
If your club has a member who you feel should be recognized with this esteemed award, please take the time to submit their name as a candidate by completing our online submission form. Your outstanding Kiwanian just might be selected as the recipient of the award!