Gadsden Civitan Club in Gadsden, Alabama

Vidalia onions will be delivered tomorrow in GADSDEN. I have 83 bags to deliver. As soon as I can figure out delivery to each of you I will let you know. Last year I met most of you at Jacks parking lot at the Falls. If that will work for you please let me know. Thanks for your support of the Gadsden Civitan Club. Text me at 865-661-1216.
Sammie Hawkins

How It Started: A membership vote in 1989 at the Civitan International Convention in Chicago promised $20 million to start and support the Civitan International Research Center.
How It’s Going: Pledge fulfilled! More than 100 scientists at the CIRC are working on better treatments and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those with other brain conditions.

Gadsden Civitan Club - Annual “VIDALIA ONIONS” SALE
10 # bag of Onions for $11.00. The increase of $1 is due to increase from distributor.
Fresh dug Vidalia onions will be delivered the first or second week in May. All proceeds are used to support our local service projects and charities.
Deadline to order onions is MONDAY, April 15, 2020.
Contact Sammie Hawkins, Club Past President to place your order on this post. I live on Monte Vista Drive, Gadsden. Message me with your order. If you prefer respond via email to me at [email protected]. I need your name – address and phone number. Thanks in advance for your support!

The Gadsden Civitan Club meets at the Western Sizzlin in Rainbow City at 11:30 on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.

Proud to be a Civitan!

UAB and Civitan International celebrate longstanding partnership while making plans for the future UAB and Civitan International have met a $20 million philanthropic milestone. 

Gadsden Civitan Club recently had as our guest speaker Dave Roberts, minister at First Baptist Church in Rainbow City, AL.
Brother Dave talked about being positive in a negative world and being productive with a drive for excellence. Pictured below (left to right) Sammie Hawkins, Club President; President Elect Randy Lively; Neil Thrower; Tom McElrath; Annese Ligon (Secretary); Jannette McGriff (Treasurer) Reverend Roberts and wife Faye.

The Gadsden Civitan Club sends our deepest sympathies to the family of Jack Floyd who recently passed away. Floyd's tenure as a lawyer was almost matched by his time as a Gadsden Civitan Club member with about 60 years as a member of the civic club. He was one of the longest serving members of the club and served as president from 2013 to 2014.

Jack's Gadsden law firm expressed it well in a Facebook post Wednesday: The legal community lost one of the greats with the death of Jack Floyd.

"Jack was beloved by the bench and the bar," Etowah County Presiding Judge William Ogletree said. "He loved the law and serving others.

"One thing you could count on with Jack: He made sure you heard his clients' voices," the judge said. "He vigorously represented his clients. He will be sorely missed."

Sammie Hawkins, President
Gadsden Civitan Club

Gadsden Civitan Club celebrates 100th Anniversary - Gadsden Messenger Pictured, from left, Gadsden Civitan Club President-Elect Randy Lively, former Civitan President Bob Walden, current Civitan President Sammie Hawkins, Civitan member Bill Rich, Etowah County Commissioner Jamie Grant and District 10 State Senator Andrew Jones celebrate Gadsden Civitan Club’s 100th ...

Gadsden Civitan Club Essay Contest 2021
Continuing its celebration of 100 years of service to the City of Gadsden and surrounding areas, The Gadsden Civitan Club recently held its annual Essay Contest for Junior Civitan Club members. The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to write about opportunities for service to others in their communities. The theme for this year’s event was “How Junior Civitans can improve our School and Community.”

Over twenty-five essays were submitted for judging. The winners in the high school division were Glencoe High School students Katie Giles, 1st place and Taylor Holder, 2nd place. In the middle school division, the top three essays were from Glencoe Middle School students Christopher Holder, 1st place, Wilson Roberts, 2nd place and Paisley Barfield, 3rd place.

The main concepts covered by the students included helping others through simple but important assistance ranging from encouraging others to persevere in their work, to canned food drives for the needy, to simply offering a smile to someone who is having a bad day. Being positive and simple acts of kindness were suggested to make the community and our world a better place.

On hand to support the students were Glencoe High School Junior Civitan sponsor and teacher Mrs. Karen Cothran and Principal Mrs. Wendy Tinker. Representing Glencoe Middle School were Junior Civitan sponsor and teacher Mrs. Alison Roberts and Principal Mr. Kenny Clevenger. Also in attendance were parents, grandparents and Gadsden Civitan Club members.

How It Started: A membership vote in 1989 at the Civitan International Convention in Chicago promised $20 million to start and support the Civitan International Research Center.

How It’s Going: Pledge fulfilled! More than 100 scientists at the CIRC are working on better treatments and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those with other brain conditions.

I AM CIVITAN AND I BELIEVE IN OUR MISSION. Parkinson’s Disease plagues more than one million people in the United States alone. A study going on at the Civitan International Research Center in the lab of Dr. Matthew Goldberg is looking at a deficiency in the PINK1 gene and how drugs could reactivate it, leading to possible prevention of Parkinson’s and similar neurodegenerative diseases.

I AM CIVITAN AND I BELIEVE IN OUR MISSION. Parkinson’s Disease plagues more than one million people in the United States alone. A study going on at the Civitan International Research Center in the lab of Dr. Matthew Goldberg is looking at a deficiency in the PINK1 gene and how drugs could re-activate it, leading to possible prevention of Parkinson’s and similar neurodegenerative diseases.

Hybrid Convention 🎉

Gadsden Civitan Club - Annual “VIDALIA ONIONS” SALE
10 # bag of Onions for $10.00.
Fresh dug Vidalia onions will be delivered the first or second week in May. All proceeds are used to support our local service projects and charities.
Deadline to order onions is MONDAY, April 15, 2020.
Contact Sammie Hawkins, Club President to place your order on this post. I live on Monte Vista Drive, Gadsden. Message me with your order. If you prefer respond via email to me at [email protected].

The Anniston Civitan Club was proud to have Sammie Hawkins as our guest today. Sammie is president of the Gadsden Civitan Club as well as the Alabama Area 6 director for Civitan.

The Civitan-Sparks Clinics have been providing evaluation and diagnostic services for developmental, behavioral, and genetic disorders for over 45 years. In the last ten years alone, they have seen more than 25,000 patients. The clinics provide a variety of services for individuals with Autism, learning challenges, hearing loss, medical issues, behavior concerns, and more. To keep staff and patients safe, the Civitan-Sparks Clinic has been utilizing telehealth methods of service when possible. Civitan Clubs have also been making and donating masks for those who must be on-site.

The Civitan International Research Center is home to hundreds of brilliant scientists who work daily to develop better diagnostic tactics, treatments that will prolong the quality and quantity of life, and cures. They are using groundbreaking techniques and developing catalogs of resources that will be used for years to come. To support the Civitan International Research Center go to https://civitan.org/civitans-at-the-helm/.

Civitan was founded in 1917. Over the past 103 years our organization has faced a variety of obstacles and adapted to an ever-evolving world. Through everything, we have maintained the pillars upon which we were founded, service, knowledge, and fellowship. We experienced many firsts this year and know there are many more in the year to come. As we look to the future, we know there is more good work to be done and hope you will take part as a member of our storied organization. For more information on Civitan International, check out https://civitan.org/.

Congratulations on a job well done with our Onion Sales project this year! . We also appreciate Tameron Honda Dealership for letting us have the onions delivered there. Thanks to all who purchased onions this year!
Sammie Hawkins - Club President

We regret to inform that the Civitan International Board voted to cancel the 2020 Civitan International Convention slated for July 26-29 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The decision to cancel the Civitan International Convention was not made lightly. Several considerations were taken into account, with the health and safety of our membership being the top priority. Alternative plans to carry out many events related to convention are currently being developed. On May 1, Civitan International will release more information about virtual events.

Please read the attached letter from Civitan International President Patsy Perkal. Visit the following link for a Preliminary Convention FAQ and the Civitan Elections Procedures. https://civitan.org/hqupdates/

It’s Civitan Awareness Month! Show us how you’re spreading awareness without spreading germs. Get creative and think outside of the box! Tag Civitan International and use the hashtag .

March 21, 2020 ·
Gadsden Civitan Club - Annual “VIDALIA ONIONS” SALE
10 # bag of Onions for $10.00.
Fresh dug Vidalia onions will be delivered the first or second week in May. All proceeds are used to support our local service projects and charities.
Deadline to order onions is MONDAY, April 15, 2020.
Contact Sammie Hawkins, Club President to place your order on this post. I live on Monte Vista Drive, Gadsden. Message me with your order. If you prefer respond via email to me at [email protected].
I will deliver your onions to you. You just pay for your onions upon delivery! Thanks! Sammie Hawkins

On February 19th the Gadsden Civitan Club welcomed Scarlet Thompson as guest speaker from Birmingham, AL.She is the Executive Vice President of Civitan International, a worldwide group of service clubs that was founded in Birmingham, Alabama. A three-time Emmy award-winning journalist and longtime non-profit manager, Scarlet’s expertise includes volunteer management/board development, marketing, and corporate relations.

Scarlet shared information about the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) which was created in 1989 with a $20 million pledge from Civitan International. Since opening in 1992, the CIRC has emerged as a world leader in the research and treatment of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) which impact the lives of one in six people worldwide.

In addition to clinical research, Civitan scientists provide training and treatment through the Civitan-Sparks Clinics and the Civitan International Neuroimaging Laboratory. In 2016, the Civitan International Research Center was named a Clinical Research Center of Excellence in the study of Rett syndrome.

Photos taken by Donna Thornton (Civitan Board Member) and Reporter for the Gadsden TImes

Clergy Appreciation Week is an international project
of Civitan International, which honors local leaders
of all faiths for their dedicated service to their local
communities. Since 1963, Civitan clubs around the
world have set aside a week in February of each
year to honor local faith leaders for their acts of
service.

The project was inspired by the story of the Four
Chaplains. On February 3, 1943, four military
chaplains—a Methodist minister, a Catholic priest,
a Reformed minister and a Jewish rabbi—sacrificed
their lives in service to others on board the USS
Dorchester. The troop transport ship, in route to
Greenland, was hit by a torpedo.

The four chaplains, George L. Fox, Alexander D.
Goode, John P. Washington, and Clark V. Poling,
removed their own life jackets to give to other
passengers and locked arms in prayer for the
safety of others as the ship submerged into the
icy waters.

The groundbreaking research continues at the Civitan International Research Center! Read more about Dr. Alexander's research leading to the identification of a drug to help Duchenne muscular dystrophy symptoms: https://www.uab.edu/medicine/circ/images/Alexander_102019.pdf.

Several Gadsden Civitan Club members attended the Patriots Day Program at the Venue Nov. 6th..
Pictured below are Civitan members and guests… Sammie Hawkins (Club President), Tim Hawkins, Bill Rich (Club Member) and Kim Rich. Also present was Donna Thornton (Board Member).
This was an excellent program and the guest speaker, Master Sergent Howard “Max” Mullen, Jr. (Retired) was so inspiring!

The Gadsden Civitan Club meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Gadsden State Community College board room at noon. If you are interested in learning more how you can get involved in our club and community service projects that are available feel free to join with us.

As our Creed states “My eyes search for others to join in the fellowship and service of Civitan”...

The Gadsden Civitan Club held their annual Officer Installation luncheon September 18th. Catherine Muir, Governor Elect of the Alabama North District of Civitan International installed the officers. Dr. Bob Walden introduced our guest speaker.
Board members for the 2019~2020 year include Jim Prucnal, Dr. Bob Walden, Ray Grisby, Donna Thornton, Bill Rich and Tom McElrath. Annese Ligon will serve as Board Chair.