115-year-old service club launches new branch in Tri-Cities
A group of Walla Walla volunteers are working to expand their good works to the Tri-Cities.
The Walla Walla chapter of the Exchange Club has been around for nearly 80 years, serving the community through a variety of projects. It’s part of the National Exchange Club, a nationwide nonprofit, founded in 1911, with more than 700 chapters.
After hearing from friends in the area, they’re working to help start a Tri-Cities chapter. It’s an idea they’ve been kicking around for several years, but was put on the back burner due to the COVID pandemic, Chris Christianson told the Tri-City Herald.
Christianson is a past president of the Walla Walla chapter.
“It felt like a good time within our own group, we had time to commit and help out and get this up and running,” he said.
The organization focuses on four pillars for giving back: Americanism, community service, youth activities and its national service project, the prevention of child abuse.
The Americanism pillar is centered on promoting pride in country and community, appreciation and gratitude for service members and celebrating “the country’s rich, unique heritage and inspires unity from coast-to-coast.”
In Walla Walla, one of the community service initiatives includes the Ducky Derby, which raised about $50,000 last year.
Their youth activities focus includes upcoming Easter Egg hunts, and the prevention of child abuse pillar sees members volunteer with CASA to accompany vulnerable children to court.
“The interest is there, people want to do it ... It’s all about finding the right people who want to come in and give back to their community,” Christianson said. “It’s a vessel, by myself I couldn’t do all this stuff and raise all that money, but collectively as a group we can.”
The Walla Walla Club currently has 75 members.
Christianson said being able to get together and see what they can accomplish to make the community better fills him with pride.
The first meeting of the Tri-Cities chapter is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr.
For more information, visit tricitieswaexchangeclub@gmail.com.
