Circle K International
 |
|
| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jay N. Emerson |
| Type | Service |
| Focus | To promote service, leadership, and fellowship |
| Location | |
| Origins | Washington State College, Pullman, Washington |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
| Method | Community service |
|
Members
|
13,835 |
| Owner | Kiwanis International |
|
Revenue
|
US$767,348 (2006) |
| Endowment | >US$160,000 (2005) |
| Slogan | Live to Serve, Love to Serve |
| Website | www.circlek.org |
Circle K International (CKI) is an international collegiate service organization that is a sponsored leadership program of Kiwanis International. It promotes service, leadership, and fellowship. It has over 13,000 members.
Circle K International is a service organization formed to help the community through various service projects. It is part of an umbrella of organizations led by Kiwanis International. Circle K International also aims to build fellowship and create leaders within the membership.
The organization raises funds for various causes. The major initiative is: “Focusing on the Future: Children” which aims to help children of ages six to thirteen. In 2007, Circle K partnered with the U.S. fund to help raise $500,000 for UNICEF in efforts to help children around the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. This is called "Saving Lives – The Six Cents Initiative." It got its name from the cost in U.S. funds, to purchase one pack of rehydration salts to purify a day’s worth of drinking water. Their service partners include UNICEF, Students Team Up to Fight Hunger (STUFH),March of Dimes, Better World Books, and The Tomorrow Fund.
"I pledge to uphold the Objects of Circle K International, to foster compassion and goodwill toward others through service and leadership, to develop my abilities and the abilities of all people, and to dedicate myself to the realization of mankind’s potential."
In 1936, the “Circle K House” at Washington State College was established by the Kiwanis Club of Pullman, Washington. Organized as a fraternity, Kappa Iota Phi served men who needed financial aid to attend college. Kiwanians also wanted to provide collegiate students leadership opportunities for their future careers and work service projects to better their communities while having a sense of fellowship. In 1947, Circle K changed from a fraternity to a service organization. That year, the first Circle K club was chartered at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois. In 1949, two more clubs were added, and by 1955 there were 147 clubs, at which point Circle K received official endorsement from Kiwanis International. Circle K International adopted the Kiwanians beliefs by establishing the three tenets of Service, Leadership, and Fellowship to bring a sense of purpose to the organization.
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