Council Bluffs Jaycees Events
Christmas Shopping Spree for Disadvantaged
Earnings from our Labor Day Street Dance are used to fund a Christmas shopping spree for children in the community. The Department of Human Services helps the Jaycees by selecting needy children (ages 5-11) to participate in the event. In addition, generous donations from area businesses provide a pizza party and goody bags for the children. During the party, kids can wrap their gifts and visit with our special guest, Santa.
Run, Punt & Pass
The Run, Punt, & Pass is a statewide Jaycees event held for children from ages 8-14 to give them the opportunity to showcase their basic football skills. The youth throw for distance, punt for distance, and run a zigzag course all for distance and time. Awards are given out to the top six finishers with the top finishers qualifying for the state event at the UNI Dome in Cedar Rapids.
Labor Day Street Dance
Annually, the Council Bluffs Jaycees hold a street dance in the parking area north of Scott Street Pub, and it draws nearly 2000 people from the area. Past bands have included the Confidentials and the Pharomones. Scott Street Pub co-sponsors the dance and provides beverages in their beer garden and a share of the profits. This is currently the largest Council Bluffs Jaycees fundraiser.
Adopt-A-Street
Adopt-A-Street is a volunteer-based effort to keep our Council Bluffs streets trash free. The organization’s name is posted along the street that they have adopted, and cleanup is required several times each year.
Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Each year the Jaycees organize an Easter Egg Hunt during the Easter season for children of the community. At the event, held on the baseball fields at Harvey’s Recreation Complex, children gather plastic eggs filled with goodies prepared by the Jaycees from donations made by area businesses. The children also enjoy visits from the Easter Bunny, Little Squirt of the Council Bluffs Fire Department, and McGruff the Crime Dog.
Christmas Tree Sales
In the past, the Jaycees have sold Christmas trees to raise money for the annual children’s shopping spree. Most recently trees were sold at a location between Walmart and Sam’s Club during the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Kid ID Program
This program provided parents a packet in which to write a child's vital stats and place a photo, so if the child were ever missing, the parents would have recent information and a photo to provide police to assist in a search. We did this as a stand-alone project a few years with both the Sheriff's office and the Police Dept., and then we did it for several years at the mall, inviting various organizations to participate in educating parents in keeping their children safe.
Wine Tasting Evening
This was a fundraiser for our annual Christmas Shopping Spree, held at a local restaurant. We sold tickets to the event, and provided 7 varieties of wine for attendees to sample, along with hors'dourves. In addition a wine expert assisted attendees in experiencing what they were tasting, as well as providing tips for selecting wine for entertaining their own guests.
Leadership and Professional Development:
Professional Leadership Courses
The Jaycees organization at local, state or national levels conduct seminars educating members on various aspects of leadership. Hands-on leadership experience is afforded to the local member through participation as a chapter, district, regional, state or national officer, and through chairing chapter projects.
Resume Writing and Interview Workshops
Workshops may be held as demand warrants, led by either current or past members, or outside professionals to teach members the skills needed for resume writing and interviewing, and to assist them in furthering their career goals.
Jaycees Degrees Programs and Contests
The Degrees program provides a guide for personal growth for the member, allowing members to more fully achieve the benefits of leadership training while affecting the experience of other members. There are 3 phases of Degrees - Involvement, Experience, and Leadership.