CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Matins Kiwanis Program Chair Frank Moran welcomed Heidi Draisey from the YMCA-YWCA who presented the LIVESTRONG program to the group.

Matins Kiwanis met Thursday morning at 6:30 a.m. in the Salvation Army building and were greeted by Tammie Frederick. After the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation the buffet breakfast was served. Token Fines were paid by Frank Moran, Don Feld, Frederick and Alan Hilleman with Happy Dollars donated from Glen Christen, Martha and Andy Schwandt, Ron Nauman, Moran, Feld and Larry Kester. Winning a free breakfast for the next meeting were Feld and Dennis Westphal. Results of the Funnel Cake sales from the Rose Festival were shared and volunteers for the Corn Carnival were finalized.

Program Host Moran introduced Heidi Draisey as the guest speaker. Draisey is a health and wellness coordinator and LIVESTRONG coordinator at the Marshalltown “Y” and she spoke on the LIVESTRONG Program provided there.

The LIVESTRONG Program was introduced to YMCA’s throughout the country by Tour de France bicyclist, Lance Armstrong and has served more than 40,000 participants nationwide. The first 12-week session is free for cancer survivors and their support. The participants meet for 90 minutes twice a week for 12 weeks and focus on strength, balance and flexibility. They can diminish the severity of therapy side effects, develop new supportive relationships and really just improve their quality of life. The staff has been specially trained to work with cancer survivors and patients and will follow the American College of Sports Medicine and American Cancer Society exercise guidelines.

Sign-up information is available at www.ymca-ywca.org. Questions were raised and answered with President Feld adjourned the meeting with another one of his lame jokes.