The Kiwanis International's annual convention is coming to Salt Lake City, and with it comes an estimated $11 million boost to the local economy.
Approximately 12,000 Kiwanis club members - both male and female - are expected to be here June 21-25 for the event. The convention is hosted by the Utah-Idaho District of Kiwanis, which has about 2,600 members in 70 clubs.The convention also has attracted a number of celebrities who support the Kiwanis' longstanding commitment to help children: Bill Cosby, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former U.S. Sen. Jake Garn, Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and opera singer Sigrun Hjalmtysdottir.
Actor Roger Moore will be here as honorary chairman of the Kiwanis' Iodine Deficiency Disorders program. This is an international project to provide iodized salt to all countries to help prevent deficiencies, which can cause mental retardation and various physical ailments in children. Iodine deficiencies also can cause miscarriage, stillbirths and infant deaths.
Iodine deficiency disorders are the world's leading preventable cause of mental retardation in children, and more than 1.5 billion people risk some serious health problem due to the deficiency, according to Eyjolfur Sigurdsson, president of Kiwanis International.
Sigurdsson will take part in the Salt Lake convention as well as UNICEF director Carol Bellamy. Her agency works on the worldwide iodine deficiency problem in conjunction with Kiwanis International and its corporate partner, Morton Salt.
Kiwanis International plans to raise $75 million by the year 2000 that UNICEF will use to help solve the problem.
Plans are to help governments iodize salt supplies, encourage salt producers to iodize salt, monitor salt production and sales, and educate the public.
One teaspoon of iodine consumed during a lifetime is enough to prevent serious mental and physical health problems.
"It's a tremendous project, and we're well on our way toward raising $10-$12 million by the end of this year," said Bernard Tanner, who is chairman of the Salt Lake general host committee. "We want to give children in Third World countries a chance."
This is the first time Kiwanis International has held its convention in Salt Lake.
Tanner said the local 14-member convention committee has worked for 18 months to organize the event, which will be held at the Delta Center and Salt Palace. It will feature workshops, forums, expositions and large group meetings.
On Sunday, June 23, thousands of conven-tiongoers will listen to a performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Assisting in the planning is Kiwanis District Gov. O. Geral Wilde of Provo.
Plans are under way to erect five billboards welcoming the Kiwanians, including a big sign visible to visitors arriving from the airport. Tanner also said 300 local businesses are willing to post "Welcome Kiwanis" signs in their establishments.
Tanner's son, Ed, will greet many Kiwanian guests at the airport with such Salt Lake gifts as salt water taffy and 4,000 tiny bags of salt donated by Morton Salt.
Although the iodine deficiency disorders project is important, it will not detract from local efforts to help young people, according to David Blackmer, the organization's public relations director.
"This is the first time in history that the Kiwanis has undertaken a project of this magnitude, but this will not preclude our local efforts. It will be in addition to those," Blackmer said.
In this area, the Salt Lake Kiwanians have supported the Kiwanis-Felt Boys and Girls Club. Local Kiwanis clubs also have done many community service projects such as improving community parks, sponsoring Christmas parties for children and distributing Hope of America and Freedom Leadership awards to sixth- and ninth-graders.