Community

Kiwanis club honors long term members

ESCANABA - The Escanaba Kiwanis has honored two of its long-term members, naming them to the Kiwanis International Legion of Honor.

Warren Issacson joined the club 50 years ago and Dennis Pearson 45 years ago. Like many community service organizations, the two have seen the local club prosper over the decades while adjusting to the world's changing times.

Their long journey started when the club membership was made up of more than 100 businessmen whose common goals were to be a conduit for members' business and social interests.

Like service clubs all over the country, Escanaba Kiwanis has transitioned to a club that must face the ongoing challenge of dealing with far less members due to the COVID crisis that first surfaced in January 2020. But, the club is succeeding and has renewed its focus on community service, focusing on serving youth.

Issacson, who grew up in Gladstone, returned to Delta County right after college and went to work for the city of Escanaba Water Plant. The director of the plant knew retirement was near for him and other plant workers. The director was also a member of Kiwanis, and recruited Issacson to join the club.

"When I got in, I wanted to relearn about the community, and club was a perfect fit," Issacson said. He again followed in his boss's

footsteps when Issacson was named director of the water plant when his boss retired.

"The club met at noon Mondays, and it was just a great way to start the week. The club soon changed its focus from business to becoming more of a service club," Issacson said.

Pearson worked at his family business, at the time Pearson Pipefitting, later to become Pearson Asbestos and owned by Dennis. He was recruited to join Kiwanis by owner of the business - his dad - who was also a Kiwanian.

"The club was a great opportunity to meet other businesspeople and share business ideas. It wasn't long before Kiwanis International and our club started focusing on becoming a community service organization," Pearson said.

That service has benefited the area for decades. One of the club's most positive endeavors was being a major contributor and providing volunteer labor for the YMCA's first pool in Delta County.

"Every business had an interest in their employees providing a service, and Kiwanis was a perfect outlet for those businesses," Issacson said.

Pearson agrees. "People still have a chance to provide community service," he said.

Issacson said keeping in touch with the community took place both at club meetings and community service projects.

The club was also a leader in positive social changes. It was the first to allow women members in the early 1980s when Alica Sabuco of WDBC radio joined the ranks.

Pearson said the family business was doing great 15 years into his Kiwanis membership, and he actually considered stepping away from the club. "I was too busy, but I decided it wouldn't be right to quit Kiwanis when things were going so well," he said.

The two have taken club leadership positions over the years. Issacson chaired the annual Kiwanis Rodeo and Pearson was lieutenant governor for Kiwanis. They're also a huge part of the club's Kiwanis Spring Expo, which is growing into both the club's biggest fund-raiser and community service project.