January 28, 1924: Toms River Kiwanis Club Forms

The founding day for Toms River's first Kiwanis Club came Jan. 28, 1924 when the international club was awarded a local charter.

At the start in 1925, some of the initial efforts involved advocating for a north/south hard-surfaced highway, from Elizabeth to Toms River and then extending south to Atlantic City, what came to be known as Route 9.

The Kiwanis also supported improvements to the wooden bridge that once spanned the Barnegat Bay into Seaside Heights. The wooden bridge would be replaced 20 years later for a draw bridge in 1950, and named after Thomas A. Mathis. Mathis was among the original Toms River Kiwanis trustees.

Efforts during WWII included donating "goodies" to departing soldiers from Toms River. Later, the club supported building a community hospital, raising $20,000 for what was then known as Toms River Community Memorial Hospital.

In 1945, the Kiwanis began sponsoring the Halloween Window Painting Contest downtown, encouraging the art of local students. The contest continues to this day.

Currently the Kiwanis-TR is one of two Kiwanis chapters in Toms River, the other being Kiwanis Daybreak.