Philip Lengerich

Key Club members pose after a successful and fun breakfast with Santa out side City Hall on Dec. 13.

Breakfast with Santa is a long-standing tradition that the Kiwanis Club plans along with the Manitou Springs High School’s Key Club for the community of Manitou Springs. It was hosted at Manitou Springs City Hall on Dec. 12 just before Christmas.   

Key Club is primarily a student run club with the help of teachers and Kiwanis. Many students come to help and participate in the club. “We usually sit around 30 to 40 people, occasionally jumping up to the 50s”, Logan Kelley (12), the president of Key Club said. 

Key Club was created as a student version of Kiwanis for the betterment of schools and their communities. “It is built with the purpose of getting volunteers together to raise funds to support children, whether that is in our school, in our district, our community and sometimes even around the state or the nation or world,” Yonas Hanson (12), a three year member said.

Hanson, although very experienced, is just a member of the club yet is a big part in helping the newer members. “I support the underclassmen when we do events that we’ve done in the past, and make sure they understand how to do it,” he said.

Although the club is mostly student-driven with older members helping teach and run events, Tiffany Selz also supports the club as sponsor. “I think it’s a good idea to give back to your community when you can, ” Selz said, “so by helping sponsor this club, I not only get to give back to my community, but I also get to help others do the same.”

One of the many events that Key Club helps Kiwanis with is Breakfast with Santa, where the community can all come together during the holiday season.“The event is open to anyone in the community who can come, parents, neighbors, and then the elementary schoolers, middle schoolers, high schoolers,” Hanson said.

Even though the entire community is invited, Hanson feels it is a great opportunity for younger kids. “The elementary school kids can come meet Santa Claus, and, you know, get their Christmas wishes in and have a really good breakfast,” he said. 

Much of the breakfast was handed out by Key Club members and even some of Manitou’s fire fighters. The food was free for volunteers and for younger children ensuring that the kids could get a free and hearty breakfast. “There’s pancakes, eggs, sausage, things like that, which Kiwanis makes,” Hanson said. 

Along with food the club also has other activities like caroling, face painting and more.   These activities help bring the community together, like when Kelley, Hanson and other members carol during the event. “The kids get to do arts and crafts and see Santa and, you know, we just get to have a fun time hanging out with our friends. I mean, really just kind of enjoying the holidays,” Kelley said. 

Key Club and Kiwanis continue to push every day to help kids and their communities. “I just think that the community in Manitou is irreplaceable,” Kelley said. “It’s hard to find these days at schools, especially with larger schools. We are tight knit and you know everybody.”