Sienna Weiss, a 2026 graduate of Sioux Valley High School in Volga, SD, was the 2026 recipient of the Kiwanis MnDak District Education Foundation's Dr. Victor Webster Scholarship. She plans to pursue a degree in Medical Biology at the University of South Dakota. Sienna is pictured here with Club President Roger Rhody and Skip Webster. Skip, a current member of our club, is the son of Dr. Victor Webster, who served our club in many capacities for many years.
Welcome to Our Club. Come Join Us!
We meet In Person
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Mission Coffeehouse
First Lutheran Church
337 8th Street
Brookings, SD 57006
United States of America
337 8th Street
Brookings, SD 57006
United States of America
Why Should You Belong to Kiwanis?
IT FEELS GOOD. There is no better feeling than serving your local community and bringing hope and opportunity to families, neighbors, and friends.
A CHANCE TO LEAD. Take the lead on service projects or opportunities within the club or district. Grow from the experience of motivating others.
FELLOWSHIP. Kiwanis meetings and service projects provide an opportunity to get together and network with like-minded people.
Recent Speakers
Lisbeth Solum
Brookings Public Arts Commission
Mike Struck
Community Development Director, City of Brookings
Dee Shanley and Mary Moeller
Belize Mission Project
Joyce Lam is a 2026 Brookings High School graduate and recipient of a $500 scholarship from our Kiwanis Club. She plans to attend Temple University this fall, majoring in Business Marketing.
Sophia Schmit is a 2026 Brookings High School graduate and recipient of a $500 scholarship from our Kiwanis Club. She plans to attend Augustana University this fall with a major in Nursing.
On June 1, our club cooked and served a meal at the Harvest Table. The mission of the Harvest Table is “To provide to anyone in the community a no-cost meal, love, and fellowship, with children’s activities, healthy living information, diapers, and groceries.” The Harvest Table is located in the Community Life Center at 625 5th Street in Brookings.
Feeding Brookings is a mission to feed the hungry in the Brookings area through a weekly grocery distribution. Our club assisted with this mission on July 16th by packing boxes of food and loading them into vehicles.
The first Brookings Community Band Concert of the 2026 summer season was held on June 14th at Pioneer Park. Concert attendees and band members enjoyed root beer and pretzels at the event, which were provided and served by our club.
The Brookings Backpack Project is one of the many projects for which our club provides financial assistance. The Backpack Project assists children and youth in Brookings County SD, who may not have enough food to eat at home by providing them with easy-to-prepare weekend meals and snacks throughout the year.
Each year, our club provides funds to each of the three elementary schools in Brookings for needs such as student clothing and field trips. Shown here is a monetary donation being presented to the principal of Medary Elementary School.
This Christmas season, our Kiwanis Club supported Feeding Brookings by donating cans of green beans for its special Christmas distribution. This distribution provided food for a complete Christmas meal to approximately 410 Brookings households. Feeding Brookings is a non-profit ministry with a goal of feeding the hungry in Brookings through a weekly grocery distribution. More information about Feeding Brookings can be found at https://www.feedingbrookings.org and https://www.facebook.com/feedingbrookings/.
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund is the fundraising arm of Kiwanis International. A gift to the Children’s Fund is a way to amplify the impact that Kiwanis makes in kids’ lives. That’s because we turn gifts into grants that support Kiwanis projects around the world. We also collaborate on global health initiatives with other organizations, such as our partnership with UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus in countries around the world. As a part of the Kiwanis Children's Fund, the Possibility Project is a campaign to raise $25 million dollars over the next five years. Achieving this goal will make it possible to make a difference in the lives of 10 million children all over the globe.
As we have done for many years, our club again this year, on October 18, helped guide runners along a portion of the 2025 Brookings Marathon route.
Brief History of the Kiwanis Club of Brookings
On May 11, 1922, fifty men from the city of Brookings formed the Kiwanis Club of Brookings. C. O. Trygstad was elected the first president. Sponsored by the Watertown club, Brookings was the ninth Kiwanis club in South Dakota.
One of the first objectives during early years was for members to subscribe to and live out principles of fair-dealing, with the practice of the Golden Rule in private, civic, social and business life.
During early days considerable camaraderie existed between the Brookings club and others in the area. Visits included a number of carloads. Also, during the first years the Rotary club (started in 1920) and the Kiwanis club met together annually for fun sessions.
The Brookings club held its charter night activities on July 27, 1922. Names of the 58 charter members include several with descendants presently living in Brookings, such as, Walter M. Cheever, Horace Fishback, Harry L. Kohler, Leonard J. Kendall, George H. McCarty, and George P. Sexauer. An account of the evening's activities was reported in The Brookings Register and the 25th anniversary history. In summary, 450 members and family were present along with three bands. Following a parade through main avenue and a big banquet, there was music and singing and much merry-making. The formal program took place in the college armory along with much speech-making. The weather and roads were so bad that much of the crowd remained and danced and sang until dawn.