More than fifty CKI, Key Club, and Kiwanis volunteers pulled together on the weekend of March 14-16 for the first-ever Charlottesville K-Family Spring Service Retreat benefiting Camp Holiday Trails, a summer camp for children with special health needs. "It is always a pleasure working with CHT because they never fail to tell us exactly what they need to have done," commented Barb Ritter, the treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville, which sponsors six Key Clubs in local area high schools, a Builders Club at Jack Jouett Middle School, and the Circle K International chapter at the University of Virginia. Hiking trails and stream beds were cleared from debris that had accumulated over the winter. The Challenge Course was made ready for the installation of obstacles and other devices, which will soon provide hours of summer fun and excitement for hundreds of campers. The volunteers happily took to canoes to set and clear algae traps on the lake and enjoy the spring sunshine and mild temperatures. A truckload of gently used furniture was removed for donation to The Salvation Army while new pieces of furniture were put in place. Even the windows in the cabins and dining hall received a good going over by the seemingly tireless K-Family members. "The whole effort was remarkably well-planned and coordinated," observed a grateful Tina LaRoche, Executive Director of Camp Holiday Trails. Brian Cofrancesco, lieutenant governor of the Presidential Division and president-elect of UVA CKI, was in charge of this 3-day project. UVA students were joined by students from James Madison University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Mary Baldwin College, including the Capital District CKI Governor, Sneha Bhat. Key Clubbers from Monticello High School and Albemarle High School, including the Lieutenant Governor of Key Club Division 5A, Christina Horton, enthusiastically pitched in. Charlottesville Kiwanis itself provided an interclub with four of its members, including current president Norm Gutzler, taking part in this outstanding example of intergenerational volunteering. Kiwanis has been an active supporter of Camp Holiday Trails for the entire 35 years of the camp's existence. Last summer, more than $8,000 was raised for CHT at the annual Kiwanis Independence Day 5K Race. "It is our privilege and honor to dedicate proceeds from the 25th annual race on July 4, 2008 to this unique organization so that kids can enjoy summer camp despite suffering from chronic illnesses," said Kiwanis President Norm Gutzler.