The Gainesville Kiwanis Club marked its 100th anniversary Tuesday.
Founded in 1925, the club supports education, service and the arts in the Gainesville area.
“It was their mission to improve the community for future generations by reading to children, recognizing the arts, raising money by flipping pancakes, and meeting weekly to learn about other opportunities to serve,” President Angela Sheppard Said in a release. “It is a testament to their vision and the fortitude of this Club that we are here celebrating our 100th anniversary.”
Douglas Ivester, Gainesville native and former Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola, was presented with the John W. Jacobs Jr. Youth Service Award.
Angela Sheppard said, "He wants children to learn how to use education to better themselves and their situation. Learn how education is power. And how it empowers you to go where you want – as long as you pair it with the right determination and grit. Doug Ivester has spent his retirement giving back to the Gainesville-Hall County community in countless ways – and always with his wife Kay by his side. Together, they have donated millions of dollars to improve the lives of the students and teachers of Gainesville and Hall County. For the many opportunities they’ve created, and the countless lives they have touched, the debt of gratitude can never be repaid."
Throughout the celebration, the organization honored past and present leaders, including the presentation of the George F. Hixson Fellowship to Megan Evans, in recognition of her dedication as Club President in 2024.
The Gainesville Kiwanis Club inaugurated its Legacy Member Program during the celebration, highlighting individuals whose decades of service have shaped the club’s mission and future. The 2025 inductees included:
- Edgar “Eddie” H. Chambers, Jr. – Longest-serving Kiwanian, businessman, and community servant
- Nat Hancock – Engineer, civic leader, and passionate historian
- Betty Howard – The club’s first female president and business leader
- John W. Jacobs, Sr. – Founding club president and lifelong community advocate
- John W. Jacobs, Jr. – Broadcasting pioneer and national Kiwanis leader
- John “Jay” Jacobs III – Media executive and Kiwanian visionary leader
- “Art” Jack Kunzer, Jr. – Lifelong businessman and devoted Kiwanian
- John Hartwell Smith – Esteemed attorney and 60-year Kiwanian
The organization also honored students receiving the Charles J. Thurmond Youth Art Scholarship. The program recognizes the artistic accomplishments of young people in the Gainesville-Hall County area. The scholarship is awarded to top performers in the club’s annual performing, visual and writing arts competitions.
This year’s recipients of the Charles J. Thurmond Youth Art Scholarship included:
• First Place Scholarship & People’s Choice Award:
Sydney Green, Madison Ladd, and Payton Whitaker (Chestatee High School, 10th–11th
Grade) Performance: “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet” (Words by John Parker, Music by Greg
Gilpin)
• Second Place Scholarship Winner:
Aidan Voyles (North Hall High School, 11th Grade) Piano Performance: “Reverie” by Claude Debussy
• Third Place Scholarship Winner:
Faith Harvey (Chestatee High School, 12th Grade)
Vocal Performance: “Speechless” (Alan Menken, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul)
Additionally, the prestigious John C. Thompson Award was presented to Lilly Perry of North Hall High School for her exemplary achievements.
Sheppard also presented the first-ever Kiwanian of the Year Award to Matthew Anthony.
“When the executive committee thought about who to give our first Kiwanian of the Year to, one name came to mind easily for everyone,” Sheppard said. “This is a Kiwanian that truly embodies the ‘Kiwanis Spirit’—Service, Community, and Enthusiasm.”
