Joni Truex holds the Kiwanis Club Day proclamation. Behind her, from left, is Ron Truex, Renea Salyer, Bob Conley and Brad Jackson.

“We are celebrating 100 years for Kiwanis International,” Renea Salyer, president of the local Kiwanis Club, told the Kosciusko County Commissioners at the April 7 meeting.

Salyer, along with Joni Truex, came before the commissioners to request the proclamation of Kiwanis Club Day in Kosciusko County.

The day will be recognized on April 21. Salyer says that was when the local Kiwanis Club was founded, just six years after the founding of the original Kiwanis Club in Detroit. Kiwanis International is now one of the largest service organizations in the world.

“We’re 86 members strong, and we’re growing,” Salyer said. She hopes to get the membership up 100 during her presidency.

Salyer and Truex told the commissioners about some of the services that Kiwanis offers. The club seems to have a hand in a number of charitable causes: offering vocational scholarships to high schools grads, Christmas gifts for the Salvation Army, food pantries, mobile meals, Riley’s Children’s Hospital, UNICEF’s Eliminate Project, and helping fund adaptive bicycles, which allow children with disabilities to ride bikes like any other child.

Also at the meeting, Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation President George Robertson spoke about an opportunity the county has to take advantage of Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership program.

Launched in 2013, IMCP encourages communities to develop economic strategies that make them more attractive to global manufacturers. “We’re talking about significant federal dollars coming available through this program,” Robertson said.

Robertson reported that KEDCo is working with Orthoworx, Whitley County Economic Development Corporation and Allen County Economic Development Corporation to establish the area of US 30 from Warsaw to the west side of Fort Wayne as the “Orthopedic Corridor.”

“We’re asking you only for a letter of support,” said Robertson. “There’s no money involved. Whitley County’s grant writer is putting together the grant. IPFW did all the research we need.” Robertson also reported that should the region be branded as the “Orthopedic Corridor,” Orthoworx would be entitled to government money.

“We think it’s of critical importance to this county,” Robertson said. “We’re economically tied in the region. It’s the orthopedic capitol of the world.” The commissioners agreed to provide a letter of support.

Additionally, Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Scott Tilden presented the commissioners with a letter of understanding from INDOT regarding an unofficial construction detour on the west side of the county, on CR 450N, west of SR 19.

The next meeting of the Kosciusko County Commissioners will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 21.