Each spring, CCWKF's Grants Committee invites Greater Williamsburg children's organizations to submit funding requests. The Committee reviews and ranks proposals, then recommends them to the Board for final approval. This August, the Board awarded grants to eight organizations:
Colonial CASA $7,000 for child advocacy program training
Dream Catchers $5,000 for equine motion simulator for children who couldn't otherwise ride
Edmarc $3,500 for mileage/toll for home care hospice and palliative care nurses
Grove Christian Outreach $6,000 for back-to-school backpacks, uniforms, and shoes for 231 children
House of Mercy $5,000 for 250th Anniversary Food Drive for 2442 households
Latisha's House $2,500 for parenting training and family re-unification
Additionally, the Committee recommended grants of $3,000 to be awarded next spring to Meals on Wheels and The Chamber Music Society. The Meals on Wheels funds will be used for summer meals for 300 children. The Chamber Music Society grant will be used for school outreach. The Chamber Music Society will hold performances reaching 1525 children.
These grants total $35,000.
Pictured is Jim Waddington, Chair of CCWKF's Grant Committee and Kimberly Sherlaw, Edmarc's Director of Community Giving.
The Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital (KCCC) was founded in September 1976. In 2021, the Club's 45th year, the Colonial Capital Williamsburg Kiwanis Foundation (CCWKF), set aside $50,000 for KCCC's 50th Anniversary Project. Starting October 2024, in a year-long process, KCCC’s 50th Anniversary Committee surveyed local organizations looking for a project compatible with the Kiwanis mission, to be developed on a schedule aligning with the Club’s 50th anniversary year, i.e., September 2026 through September 2027. Many worthy projects were identified. Of those that made the cut, James City County's Department of Parks and Recreation Grove Park project, currently in the design phase, was the only project identified on the Club’s timeline and within the Foundation's target of $50,000. When we discussed our objective, the Department got to work developing ideas for a park element(s) consistent with the Kiwanis mission geared towards kids. They identified a number of possible elements. Of those, KCCC picked the two elements the members liked best. They are:
Enhanced inclusive play area “Kiwanis Harmony Corner” to include:
Accessible swings
Outdoor Musical Instruments
Ground level play panels
and
The “Kiwanis Nature Explorer Outpost” to include:
Natural outdoor classroom/storytelling circle
Sensory path with natural materials
Native plants with child friendly flora.
A Letter of Intent was signed by KCCC and the Department. To show its good will, CCWKF awarded the Department of Parks and Recreation a $5,000 grant on October 1, 2025. If all goes according to plan, the James City County Board of Supervisors will fund the Grove Park construction in July 2026. If that happens, CCWKF will award the remainder of the $50,000 grant in September 2026, on the 50th anniversary of its founding.
The exact composition of the Kiwanis named elements will be based on actual costs.
Pictured are Alister Parkinson, Assistant Director of James City County's Department of Parks and Recreation, Clark Childers, KCCC President 2024, Arlana Fauntleroy, Director of James City County's Department of Parks and Recreation, and Carl Stein, KCCC President 2025. Arlana is signing the Letter of Intent.
On September 30, 2026, the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital celebrated its 50th anniversary with a dinner at Two Rivers Country Club in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 50th Anniversary Committee chaired by Craig Wendlandt consisted of David Schatten, Larry Sipos, Carl Stein, Kim Tahey, and Pete Webster. The Committee organized the dinner, selected the menu, researched the Club and Foundation history, and invited the speakers and special guests. Carl Stein collected more than 120 slides depicting the Club's activities over the past 15 years and prepared a slide show, which ran during cocktails and dinner. Craig Wendlandt prepared a second slide show featured in the evening's main presentation using information from Kiwanis International, the archives of the Williamsburg Regional Library and archives at the College of William & Mary. David Schatten dove through KCCC's secretary's files and Ed Odachowski researched the Colonial Capital Williamsburg Kiwanis Foundation's records to identify items of interest to members. Ron Goldstein added a history of the Club's Toys for Local Kids campaign. Kiwanis International sent an official 50th anniversary logo for the Club which was used prominently on place cards and in the slide show. The host for the evening was outgoing Club President Chuck Owlett. The song for the evening was God Bless America led by Harley Stewart. The invocation was given by Marie Allen.
Guest speakers presented three topics. Ms Sandy Towers, Director of the Williamsburg Regional Library spoke on the impact of our Club helping fund the Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio and the Williamsburg Regional Library Natural Playground. Ms Arlana Fauntleroy and Mr. Alister Perkinson, Director and Assistant Director of James City County's Department of Parks and Recreation talked about the Kiwanis Kids Train and Grove Community Park. Mr. Perkinson provided details on the Kiwanis named playground elements, which is the Club’s 50th Anniversary Project. Mr. Scott Zimmerman, Capital District Division 12 Lt. Governor Elect, who joined Kiwanis as a member of this Club in 1976, described the early days of the Club. He reported that the Club size was limited by the meeting space, described early fund-raising events, and told about collecting cannisters at local stores in the days before there was a can-shaking campaign. He closed by saying that joining Kiwanis was one of the best decisions of his life.
Following the guest speakers, Chuck Owlett summarized the timeline history of the Club from the founding of Kiwanis in 1915 to the founding of the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital in 1976 and up to the present. Chuck presented a series of photos of Club members in action - issuing grants, can shaking, assisting shoppers on the Toys for Local Kids shopping day, distributing books, working youth sporting events, and showing Club members in action at our two major fundraising events – the annual golf tournament and Men Who Cook.
Chuck briefly summarized the Club's capital projects and announced the signing of the Letter of Intent to fund the outfitting of “Kiwanis Otter Coves” at the Bright Beginnings facilities in Williamsburg and Norge. He reported the approximate total dollars the Club and Foundation have donated to children since the Club's founding ($1.5 million). He closed his remarks with a series of thankyous to the Club's founding leadership and members, members’ spouses, donors, community leaders and businesses that support our activities, local nonprofits, James City County leadership and Williamsburg-James City County Schools for allowing us to work directly with students. Chuck closed by thanking the Key Clubs, the next generation of Kiwanians and the current membership.
Following Mr. Owlett’s remarks, Bob Holmberg announced this year's Finley Award winner, Mr. Hal Metcalfe. Hal is the visionary of the Club’s Bag 4 U program that provides care bags to children entering foster care. He is the liaison to the Williamsburg Christian Academy Key Club, and he works with James City County Social Services. In addition, Hal is the Club's liaison to the local law enforcement community who are major supporters of the Club.
The last presentation of the evening was the Passing of the Gavel. Chuck Owlett presented the gavel to incoming President Paul Langenus. Paul made remarks celebrating the past 50 years and he offered a toast to the next 50 years. Paul closed the event by adjourning the meeting.
Many notable community members, in addition to our guest speakers, attended the dinner, including State Senator Danny Diggs, James City County Board Supervisor Jim Icenhour, James City County Assistant County Administrator Brad Rinehimer, Kiwanis International Capital District Division 12 Lt. Governor James Shakleford and his wife Ginger, and Buddy Giles from the Toano Kiwanis club. Representatives from the Bruton High School included the Key Club sponsor, Jennifer Reyburn, and the Key Club President, Aubrey McCaffrey. We were honored to have Missy Zimmerman, a Kiwanis Capital District Trustee, who accompanied our Guest speaker, Division 12 Lt Governor Elect Scott Zimmerman. From the nonprofit community the Club serves, we welcomed Katie Patrick, the Executive Director of Grove Christian Outreach; Captain Jumaine Berenabe and his wife Katie of the Williamsburg Salvation Army; Celeste Genov from Dream Catchers; and Kimberly Sherlaw from Edmark. Ms Kim Wolfe joined us as well. Ms Wolfe had recently donated her mother's collection of crocheted stuffed animals to support the Bags 4 U program. KCCC Emeritus members Hunt Berryman, Bill Deaner, and Mary Lehman were also present.
In all, more than a hundred people attended the dinner.
Each year, the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital runs fundraising projects used to fund high school scholarships, make grants to deserving local organizations, sponsor youth basketball tournaments, award a cash prize to KCCC's Teenager of the Year, and provide gifts, books, and food baskets to children and families during the holidays. The largest fundraiser is KCCC's Annual Golf Tournament. Local businesses, Club members, friends, and family members join for a round of golf followed by food, drink, and prizes. On September 14th, for the third year in a row, the KCCC Golf Tournament was held at the Kingsmill River Course in Williamsburg. Eighty golfers participated in the putting competition, 18-hole golf tournament, and barbecue buffet. The weather was excellent. All participants had a good time.
The Golf Committee led by Bill Lutz reported the tournament raised more than $25,000 after expenses.
The Club thanks the Golf Committee who put on an excellent tournament. The Club also thanks our tournament sponsors, the volunteers who staffed registration, managed the event, and ran the raffle, and the tournament's golfers who by participating in the event are supporting children in the Greater Williamsburg area.
The Club plans to hold the event next year at the same venue. Details will be posted on the website in the spring.
Early in 2026, members noted that WJCC Schools was starting new construction at Five Forks for Bright Beginnings. KCCC Director Jim Simpson asked the Board if he could see if there was an opportunity to support something in the new schools (being constructed in Williamsburg and Norge). The Williamsburg location is being construct next to Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School where KCCC tutors. Contact was made with Deanna Nelson, the Bright Beginnings Principal. As it turned out, there was a project. During the design of the schools, WJCC had allocated about 300 sqft in each facility for Information Technology. That space was no longer needed for that purpose and could be reprogrammed. Bright Beginnings decided to build comfort rooms to be named Otter Cove. Otter Cove will be a dedicated regulation and movement space designed to support the social, emotional, sensory, and physical development of students at Bright Beginnings Preschool. Otter Cove is intentionally designed as a whole-child regulation environment where children can develop the skills needed to manage their bodies, emotions, and attention.
Otter Cove will include a variety of areas and materials designed to support different types of regulation needs:
Calming and Quiet Spaces Soft seating, low lighting, and calming visual elements will provide children with opportunities to slow down and regulate when they feel overwhelmed.
Vestibular and Movement Opportunities Balancing and climbing structures will allow children to experience controlled movement that supports balance, body awareness, and nervous system regulation.
Proprioceptive (“Heavy Work”) Activities Crash pads, climbing surfaces, and opportunities to push, pull, carry, or jump provide deep pressure and muscle input. Research shows this type of input can help children regulate their energy levels and improve attention.
Sensory Exploration Tactile materials, LED lighting, and other sensory tools will help children explore and organize sensory input in ways that support focus and body awareness.
Music and Rhythm Access to music and rhythmic movement supports emotional regulation and can help children transition between high-energy and calm states.
The idea, turned into a design, which was translated into a proposal presented at a Club meeting in late spring of 2026. Subsequently, the Board of Directors decided to explore how to fund the project. KCCC membership was polled to determine if the project was of interest. Support was overwhelmingly positive. The Board then decided to reach out the other local Kiwanis Clubs who expressed interest in the project. The Board of Directors then voted to set aside all the funds needed to fund the project. Subsequently, a meeting was held with the Bright Beginnings and the Chief Financial Officer of WJCC Schools to determine how KCCC could formally support the project. A Letter of Intent was signed by KCCC and Bright Beginnings on September 29, 2026.
The expected cost of the project is $56,004. The Colonial Capital Williamsburg Kiwanis Foundation has set aside the monies required to fund the project. The Kiwanis Club of Toano will contribute $8,000. A grant for $2,500 was received from the Peninsula Community Foundation in support of the project.
Pictured is Bright Beginning's Principal Deanna Nelson signing the Letter of Intent and KCCC/CCWKF Board member Jim Simpson.
The Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio, located in the Williamsburg Regional Library on Croaker Road in Toano, was the brainchild of WRL Director Betsy Fowler and Asst Director Sandy Towers. James City and County and the Friends of the WRL were planning to renovate the facility when the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital, Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg, and Kiwanis Club of Toano learned of the project. The Clubs, inspired by Betsy's and Sandy's presentations, teamed to help with funding the project.
The Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio integrates the libraries collection of materials with children's museum-style interactive elements. Upgrades include child height bookshelves, family friendly carpeting, computer tables, and Reading Nooks. Idea Studio play elements include Awesome Air Tubes, Ball Wall, Pixel Pegs, Gear Wall, Interactive Floor, Giant Tablet Table, and The Play Village containing a Pet Vet, Market, and a Play House.
The Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio is fun for all ages and extremely popular. Success is measured in increased visits and increased circulation numbers - especially in the picture books enjoyed by families with infants, toddlers, and early readers. The Idea Studio is always hopping. Don't take our word. Check it out for yourself.
Men Who Cook is an annual fundraiser run by the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital (KCCC). The idea was brought to KCCC by former member Bob Taylor. He felt that bringing together prominent male members of the Williamsburg-area community to offer a sample of their favorite dishes would be a hit and would raise funds to support children in the greater Williamsburg region, while providing a new and different event for community members to participate in, while supporting a worthy cause. That has certainly proved to be the case. Annually, the event brings in some 200 guests to enjoy the culinary delights created by no fewer than twenty-four prominent community members who are also amateur chefs.
This year, Men Who Cook was once again held at the William & Mary’s Randolph A. Mason School of Business, Miller Hall at 101 Ukrop Way, just off Jamestown Rd. There was space to mingle and drinks stations in the lobby and upstairs in Brinkley Commons. Diners had a ball! Tasting choices run from a tasty summer salad, to appetizers, a number of main dishes including Chicken Paella and Chicken Parmesan, and everybody's favorite, our dessert station. Raffle prizes included gift certificates to some great Williamsburg restaurants: Cochon on Second Street, Le Yaca, and Waypoint Seafood and Grill.
Men Who Cook 2026 was another spectacular evening. To fight inflation, this year's tickets remained the same as last year's cost. This fund raiser is a member and guest favorite KCCC event. A good time is had by our cooks and our guests have a fantastic time sampling the cook's offerings. Cooks have already signed up our 2027 event! Tickets will be limited so plan to get yours early.
For information, email colonialkiwanis@gmail.com or contact any member of the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital.
Serving the Children of the Greater Williamsburg Area and the World!
The Kiwanis clubs of Colonial Capital, Toano, and Williamsburg helped the Friends of the Williamsburg Regional Library raise funds to build Phase 2 of the Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio. The project was a natural playground! The playground, located directly behind the James City County Library on Croaker Rd. has features which kids of all ages love. A sliding board, sand box, hill to roll down, rock climb, pirate ship, and a walking trail with science, reading, and "music" stations. Finally, the playground includes a gazebo - a shaded place where kids can read or just relax. The playground opened late in April 2026.
The Kiwanis Kids Train is a Williamsburg favorite. Managed and operated by the James City County Department of Parks and Recreation, this year's KCCC sponsored events will be:
Fords Colony Westbury Park April 26th, 10am
Governors Land Two Rivers Rd July 4th, 11am
Colonial CASA Fun Fare Art Museum Lawn Sept 12th, 11am
KCCC participates in a variety of projects throughout the year that involve fundraising, community service, and assisting children locally and worldwide.
Below are the projects and activities we plan to support this year.
Holiday Toy Drive for Local Kids
Boys Middle School Basketball Tournaments
Girls Middle School Basketball Tournaments
Key Club at Bruton High School
Key Club at Williamsburg Christian Academy
Kiwanis One Day/Read Across America
Tutoring at Clara Baker Byrd Elementary School
Reading Is Fundamental at the Griffin-Yeats Head Start Center
Annual Men Who Cook
Annual Golf Tournament
Kiwanis Care Closets - providing snacks clothing, and personal hygiene products to students
Bags 4 U - providing a canvas bag, quilt, stuffed animal, and hygiene products to children entering foster care
WRL Natural Playground - Grand Opening Spring 2026!
Local Events featuring the Kiwanis Kids Train!!
Each year the Club awards college scholarships and numerous community grants. We also support Kiwanis International's Childrens Fund.
KCCC sponsors Key Clubs at Bruton High School and Williamsburg Christian Academy. Key Club is the oldest and largest service leadership program for high school students, grades 9-12, in the United States. A Key Club is a student-led organization teaching leadership through serving others. Key Clubbers build themselves as they build their schools and communities. The core values of Key Club International are "Leadership, Character Building, Caring, and Inclusiveness.".
Key Clubs offer a wide variety of opportunities to its members:
Leadership development
College scholarships
Service-learning
The idea that service is a civic responsibility
Personal enrichment
Our Key Clubs generally meet once a week and members of Colonial Capital's Service Leadership Committee attend these meetings. The Clubs’ faculty moderators and KCCC support over seventy students at these two schools, as they plan and perform community and school service programs. These include such diverse projects as Habitat for Humanity, assisting Kiwanians in raising funds for Colonial Capital's annual toys for local kids program, local highway cleanup, school beautification, tutoring elementary school students, and school service activities such as ushering and parking cars for school events.
We provide our Key Clubbers the opportunity to attend regional and district conferences.
As an adjunct to Key Clubs, KCCC actively participates in the Girls’ State and Boys’ State Programs by sponsoring several students for the Virginia annual meeting. Each Spring at school award assemblies, Key Clubbers represent a significant percentage of those students receiving awards for academic excellence. Kiwanis Key Clubs provide valuable life experiences to its members.
The Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital, Williamsburg, Virginia, was chartered on September 17, 1976. For 50 years our members have been serving the children of the greater Williamsburg area. As a member, you will meet new people, be part of amazing volunteer opportunities, and work with others who are committed to helping children. We meet weekly and have guest speakers who cover a wide range of topics of interest. In addition to service projects, we hold fundraisers so that we can buy holiday toys, fund scholarships, support local youth sports tournaments, and make grants to deserving local organizations.
Contact us to learn more or come to a meeting and see for yourself.
The 25th Annual Holiday Toys for Local Kids Drive is underway. This fundraiser is KCCC's Club's Signature Project. On-line client registration began the end of September managed by Williamsburg Salvation Army. In person registration occurs between October 5 and October 9, KCCC will be manning the registration desk at the Salvation Army's location on Ironbound Rd in Williamsburg. Eligible families identify the number of children they have and the time they want to shop for gifts on KCCC's Shopping Day.
The second part of the project revolves around raising funds to pay for the gifts. Around the first of November, KCCC members don their yellow hats and brave the elements to shake a can in front of local Williamsburg businesses. We are joined by members of the Bruton High School and Williamsburg Christian Academy Key Clubs. This year, look for us at the Walmart Supercenter in Lightfoot and the Walmart Grocery Store, and Belks department store located off of Monticello Avenue in Williamsburg. With the funds raised, KCCC provides registered parents the opportunity to shop for gifts they select for their children. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, children receive gifts chosen by their parents. Monies are used to buy toys, clothes, and other items. Avalon House, House of Mercy, and Grove Christian Outreach Center also participate in the program. Children registered in the program receive an age-appropriate book.
Shopping day at the Walmart Supercenter and food basket at Grove Christian Outreach will be in early December.
