INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – After more than four decades of service, the Kiwanis Club of North Lake Tahoe continues to play a steady role in the region — but members say the organization now faces a growing challenge: keeping community support strong enough to sustain its work.
Founded in 1981, the club emerged at a time when many of its members were young families, shaping its early priorities. From the start, the group focused on youth — supporting academics, athletics and local schools across the North Lake Tahoe region, including Truckee, Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Incline Village.
“At the start, we worked with state parks to split firewood, and would sell it around town to fundraise,” said founding member David Antonucci.
Those early grassroots efforts eventually evolved into larger-scale fundraising events. A community auction and wine tasting became the club’s signature annual fundraiser, helping generate consistent funding for local programs.
The club has grown significantly since its early days, and so has its impact.
Their presence is reflected in long-standing partnerships, including its support of the Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association.
According to the organization, Kiwanis has played a foundational role in youth programming at Tahoe XC for more than 25 years — helping fund cross-country ski equipment for programs like Strider Gliders, as well as middle and high school Nordic teams and development programs.
“We’ve done a lot of projects that have made a lot of difference in our community,” said Antonucci. “and it’s been great to see a new generation come in and take the reins.”
Despite its legacy, the Kiwanis Club is now navigating a decline in fundraising participation. Organizers say attendance at their annual silent auction — still their largest fundraiser — has dropped significantly in recent years.
Where the event once raised around $50,000 annually, recent totals have fallen closer to $20,000, raising concerns about the club’s ability to maintain its level of support.
“If our fundraising keeps declining, a lot of the organizations we support may not get the level of funding they currently need and receive,” Leenah Shah, Kiwanis North Lake Tahoe club member .
While the club has long been a pillar of the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee community, it is now turning to that same community for support to help continue carrying its work forward.
It’s annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction event will be held on May 3, and tickets are on sale at http://kiwanisnlt.org/club-events/.
