The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is temporarily renaming the iconic Mill Mountain Star.

The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is hosting an auction of the Mill Mountain Star, and if you have the highest bid, you’ll get ownership of the star for a year

The Roanoke Kiwanis is excited to announce their official Kick Off for the 28th Annual Pancake & Auction Day! This annual event is the major fundraiser for the club and all proceeds raised go back into the community in the form of grants, scholarships, and service projects. Last year’s event raised $44,000 – the goal for the 2023 fundraiser is $50,000.

The Rotary Club of Salem held its annual coach drive at the Salem Civic Center Thursday.

The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke auctioned off the landmark to raise money for community projects and scholarships.

The playground would go in Riverfront Park near the Splash Plaza.

Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is offering you the opportunity to put your name by the star in effort to raise funds.

SALEM, Va. – Three Salem organizations are teaming up to help local students and they’re asking for your help too. The Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary clubs are hosting the Back to Basics clothing drive Thursday. Donations will go towards seven local schools so kids can have back-up clothes if they get dirty during the day. The clothing drive is happening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Salem Civic Center. Click here to find a list of clothing needed.

SALEM, Va. – You can help make a difference this winter and all it takes is an item of clothing. The Rotary Club of Salem is hosting its 16th coat drive on Thursday, January 21. The organization teamed up with the Kiwanis Club in Salem, as well as high school and college students to collect new and gently-used coats, hats, gloves and scarves. It’s a basic need and we’re here to fulfill that need for our community and our neighbors,” said Jane Johnson, a member of the Rotary Club of Salem. The coat drive is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Salem Civic Center.

ROANOKE, Va A project which will allow children to play for years to come opened to the public Sunday. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke cut the ribbon on an all-inclusive playground on Melrose Avenue next to the library. The Kiwanis Club has spent four years planning the project and raised nearly $400,000 to fund it. Well we hope it changes the dynamics of this area and its going to create a synergy, we have a brand new library the Melrose Library, were going to have a new community center in the old Melrose library, co-chair of the Kiwanis Club playground committee Jackie Bledsoe said. Before the playground opened, there were only two swings for the nearly 1,000 children who live in the neighborhoods near the park.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. At Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, the day starts with COVID-19 conversations and ends with them. In a Zoom meeting, Chief Steve Simon said first responders are working hard to protect the community from COVID-19 while also responding to fires, water rescues and medical emergencies. I am very, very proud to say not one employee from Roanoke County, police, fire and rescue, or sheriff have been infected by the job. Now, we have had some exposures that theyve got off the job that theyve had to be quarantined, but our people treat this thing very seriously, said Simon. Chief Simon said the county has increased its social media and online presence in an effort to continue interacting with the public.

ROANOKE, Va. There's a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in the New River Valley today. The American Heart Association holds a webinar, looking at the impact of COVID-19 on Appalachian and rural communities. The association says people who live in these regions tend to be older and more likely to experience health issues. The Roanoke River Greenway and Mill Mountain Access Road will reopen today. The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke holds a groundbreaking today for a new playground.

ROANOKE, Va. A new playground is officially under construction in an under-served community. Despite the rain and social distancing, the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke broke ground on the 10,000 square foot project Tuesday morning. The all-inclusive, ADA compliant playground will be located beside the new Melrose Library. There are two swings for 900 children in this census track and we said, 'That isn't going to stand.' The Kiwanis Club has spent four years planning this and raised nearly $400,000 to fund it.

ROANOKE, Va. - Several first responders were recognized for their life saving skills. The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke held a special awards ceremony Wednesday to honor four outstanding members of police and fire and rescue departments in the Star City and Roanoke County. Stephen Curry was congratulated for saving the life of a young boy caught up in a rip current in Nag's Head, North Carolina. The paramedic was on vacation at the time with his family. Other honorees include a police officer and her K-9 companion for locating a missing Salem VA patient suffering from dementia.

ROANOKE, Va. - The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is hosting a bocce ball tournament this weekend to raise money to build a playground for underserved families. The new, all-abilities playground will be built near the new Melrose library in Roanoke next year. This Saturday, Sept. 28, the club is hosting the tournament and it's open to anyone. It's for families, it's for adults and if I can play, you can play," said Jackie Bledsoe, the co-chair of the playground project. The tournament will take place on the Roanoke Catholic School soccer field from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.To donate to the playground, contact the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke.

ROANOKE, Va. - Three first responders were honored in Roanoke on Wednesday for their outstanding acts of service to the community. The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke honored the first responders for their selfless acts after all of them were nominated by their peers and supervisors for the Kiwanis Public Safety Recognition Award. Roanoke County police Officer Dennis Lovelace, Roanoke City police Officer David Gardner and Roanoke City 911 Operator Michelle Tringali accepted plaques and a $50 check to keep for themselves, or donate to the charity of their choice. After that tragedy, Tringali wanted to keep Winters' memory alive and protect her city. "It is particularly gratifying to know that we have recognized people for doing jobs where they seldom get much recognition," McGraw said.