The Kinsmen Club of Moose Jaw

The Kinsmen Club of Moose Jaw has been a staple in the community for nearly 80 years, and it’s no secret that the non-profit charitable organization has lent a helping hand to tons of projects over the years. Kin Canada is celebrating its centennial this year, making now a perfect opportunity to spotlight the ways in which Moose Jaw’s local Kinsmen Club stays involved each and every year. The Kinsmen motto is “Serving our community’s greatest needs,” and Moose Jaw member Cory Olafson feels like the local club really works hard to do exactly that. The club has just over 20 members this year, many of which have been part of the Kinsmen for over 20 years. The service club makes an estimated $100,000 in donations around the community every year, and they make sure each dollar goes to a good cause right here in Moose Jaw. The Kinsmen make an annual donation to KidSport, to help make athletic activities available to every child in the city, and they run the Kinsmen Beaver and Cub Scouts group for boys aged 5 to 10. They also have many long-standing partnerships with lots of athletic groups in the city, helping cover the costs of uniforms, equipment or training space to keep fees down for athletes — like the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Wrestling Club, Moose Jaw Kinsmen Minor Football, Moose Jaw Kinsmen Speed Skating Club, the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Cobra Cheerleading Club, and the Kinsmen Flying Fins and Aqua Otters, to name a few. One of the club’s largest fundraisers every year is the much-anticipated Sports Celebrity Banquet, which is always a fantastic night out on the town for attendees. It’s not surprising in a sports town like Moose Jaw that a service group like the Kinsmen are involved in so many different sports, but they also offer a hand in other ways as well. The Kinsmen give a standing donation to the Moose Jaw Health Foundation every year and are just coming to the end of a sponsorship contract with Mosaic Place. They offer high school scholarships to students in the city and co-sponsor the 10-foot tall Christmas

The Moose Jaw Kinsmen, Moose Jaw Kinnettes, and K40 members gathered to raise the Kin Canada flag on the centennial Founder’s Day on Feb. 20. tree that goes up in front of Mosaic Place every holiday season. They also sponsor other non-profit groups like Moose Jaw Families for Change. The Kinsmen helped MJFFC open the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre in 2018 and then the Kinsmen Café at the end of 2019. A few notable Moose Jaw spots have been named after them: the Kinsmen Sportsplex, Kinsmen Wellesley Park in Wakamow Valley, and a green space in West Park that will soon be upgraded thanks to the Kinsmen. Of course, all of the Kinsmen’s supports are provided through the club’s ongoing fundraisers throughout the year. In partnership with the Kinnettes Club, the Kinsmen Safe Ride program is able to provide safe transportation for about 30 holiday parties every season, getting party-goers home safely and collecting donations for the club. The Kinsmen Club also organizes the annual Santa Claus Parade every December, and it was the Kinsmen who put on the International Band and Choral Festival in the spring for decades before handing the reins over to a committee. There’s also the club’s Chase the Ace fundraiser that takes place at Cask 82 every Wednesday night, which is on its way to becoming the group’s number one fundraiser in the last few years. The Kinsmen Club can be contacted by email at mjkinsmen@outlook.com.