A local service club dedicated to helping children and developing leaders is providing more than its share of highranking members in its district.

Three members of the Kiwanis Club of Thousand Oaks now hold posts in the CaliforniaNevadaHawaii District of Kiwanis.

"Our club is shining brightly up the hierarchy," said former Kiwanis president Don Hegarty.

Irish John Gore was recently elected as a trustee of the CaliforniaNevadaHawaii District. Roy Talley is serving as the regional governor. Sergio Sepe is the lieutenant governor of Division 42.

Kiwanis is an international organization that began in Detroit in 1915. The group focuses on the needs of ordinary people and children with the goal of creating lifechanging moments. More than 600,000 men, women and youths in more than 16,000 clubs in more than 70 countries make up the group, which volunteers more than 21 million hours and invests more than $113 million in communities around the world.

"We have 95 members in Thousand Oaks who have an interest in serving and giving back, with an emphasis on children. We want to make things better for kids," Hegarty said.

The group nurtures young leaders with four high school Key clubs. Locally it provides many hours organizing and volunteering for events that help children. Through the efforts of the Kiwanis, the Conejo Valley Days Parade has been a part of CVD through the years.

The group also supports the Conejo Recreation and Park District's Eggstravaganza and Fishing Frenzy events, YMCA programs and scholarships, and Wheels to the Sea, a hike that people in wheelchairs take along Sycamore Canyon trail to the beach, Hegarty said.

The local Kiwanis meet every Wednesday for breakfast at 7:15 a.m. at Thousand Oaks Inn. Members are selected by invitation, but it's not difficult for people who want to serve the community, Hegarty said. Prospective members are welcome.