Litchfield Park Mayor Thomas L. Schoaf recognized the Kiwanis Club of Litchfield with the 2023 Litchfield Park Award of Excellence Thursday for its work in youth outreach.

The award was presented to the nonprofit during the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting at Phoenix Raceway.

The Kiwanis Club of Litchfield is a nonprofit that sponsors entrepreneur and leadership clubs in West Valley schools. Its meetings and projects provide fellowship for children and teenagers looking to make an impact in society.

“I'm here today to honor the Litchfield Kiwanis club,” Schoaf said. “They have served as Litchfield Park in the Southwest Valley for 80 years. Their programs include things such as the youth entrepreneurial program, and they provide scholarships and a variety of support for different clubs. They sponsor many of our activities in Litchfield, such as fun runs and the fishing derby, and things of that nature. They also support throughout our community for various important profit programs such as the Agua Fria Food Bank, Meals of Joy, New Life Center, Homeless Youth Connection, and many more.”

Erica Stephens, president of the Kiwanis Club of Litchfield, accepted the award.

“We've been around for over 82 years,” Stephens said. “We serve 16 student programs in the West Valley, and we're teaching them how to lead but actually, they're teaching us a lot more than what we're teaching them. We look forward to doing much more for years to come. I want to thank my new board, my club Secretary that's here, and many of my board members and new members. We appreciate our partnership with the city of Litchfield Parl and beyond. So thank you!”