Civitan Club of Birmingham marks 100th anniversary

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Few companies and even fewer people live to be 100 years old, but the Civitan Club of Birmingham—the original club of Civitan International—celebrated that milestone birthday with a reception at UAB. Their official birthday is March 17, 2017. Members of the club hosted guests and media at the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) on March 9th to bring awareness to the good work researchers are doing at the center.

The CIRC is Civitan International’s flagship project created by a $20 million commitment from the organization in 1989. The CIRC conducts cutting edge research in the study and treatment of developmental disorders such as Autism, Rett’s Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Alzheimer’s and other brain-related issues.

Club President Alan Hand joined speakers Kearney Hutsler and Michael Brown at the podium to entertain guests. Dr. Alan Percy, director of medical research at the CIRC, discussed some of the important research being done at the center. Guests enjoyed catering by Cafe IZ as Civitan International Executive Vice President John Rynearson read a proclamation from Governor Robert Bentley declaring March 17, 2017 to be Civitan Centennial Day in Alabama.

Rynearson also introduced Scarlet Thompson who will join Civitan as the new Executive Vice President in July. Thompson most recently served as vice president of development and marketing at the ARC of Jefferson County.

“Clubs take a ‘hyper-local’ approach to meeting the needs of their own communities,”

says Terry Schrimscher, Director of Public Relations for Civitan International.

“Some clubs raise funds for parks or schools and others build ramps for disabled neighbors. There are too many projects to list them all. The idea is that government, or church, can’t meet every need all the time. It’s up to good citizens to pick up the slack. It’s the golden rule in action.”

Civitan promotes good citizenship and community involvement through the organization of local clubs worldwide. Presently, Civitan includes 40,000 members globally and has a presence in 49 nations. To learn more about Civitan International, or to join a club, visit civitan.org.

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