Joe Stoye 'pays it forward'

In 1986, Joe was presented with life membership in Kiwanis. He was also asked to become a charter member of the Princeton Corridor Rotary Club.

"But I said, 'Hey, I'm a Kiwanian.'" "They didn't care. They just wanted me as a member and from 1986 to 1990, I brought in 29 members," Joe said. He was presented with the first Paul Harris Award, the highest tribute that Rotary can present a member, for his work over a period of four years with exchange students from Belgium, Germany, Japan and Columbia. When he moved to Marco Island, he was presented with a life honorary membership in Rotary.

Joe is quite the traveler. Outside of the United States, he has attended Kiwanis meetings in Salzburg, Austria; Toronto, Canada; Nova Scotia, Canada; London, England; and five different clubs in Munich, Germany. In our country, he has visited 26 states in which he attended 307 different Kiwanis meetings.

In 1990, Joe, who celebrated his 55th wedding anniversary this year with his wife, Pat, moved to Marco Island. He became a charter member of the Marco Island Kiwanis and has been a board member ever since as well as in an advisory capacity. Responsible for starting two Key Clubs at Lely High School, his fund raising efforts presented three Marco Island senior students an award of $1,000 each toward their college education. In addition, he started two college-level Circle K clubs.

"I've been a fund-raising chairman for 48 years and I've also been on the board of directors for 46 of those years. It has been very rewarding," said Joe. "I was presented in Kiwanis with the Legion of Honor for 53 years of perfect attendance. It's been good years here," he said.

Fund raising is an ongoing program in Kiwanis. "Kiwanians helped raise about $30,000 selling Christmas wreaths last year and we've started again this year," Joe said. The most current program Joe was chairman of was getting Kiwanians to donate their time over a period of six days to help with the devastation of Hurricane Charley.

"We had a trailer at the City Hall and we filled five and one-half trailers. Residents brought in toys, food, clothing, toiletries and anything and everything they felt the people would need. Six fellow Kiwanians helped man the trailer taking turns at different hours. We did the same thing the following weekend," Joe said.

His wife, Pat, is no sleeper when it come to being a Kiwanian. She is also on the board of directors and her number one priority is pre-school children. She asked her dentist to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste. She and a dental hygienist took 65 toothbrushes and toothpaste and went to the YMCA program where the hygienist showed each child how to brush their teeth. The program will be repeated at the Y. In addition, Pat takes layettes other Kiwanians help put together and brings them to the Birthing Center in North Naples primarily for mothers who come unprepared.

"What six Kiwanians did this past Election Day was volunteer to be inspectors at the voting precincts. Instead of our being paid individually, that money will go to the Kiwanis Club. We'll do the same thing in November," Pat said. "I have been a member in a number of women's clubs, but I wanted to spend time with Joe and do things with him for the same cause, which is helping children," she concluded. When not volunteering, Pat is a part-time employee at the Police Department.

"My record in Kiwanis has been very satisfying and I've accomplished a lot of things I had hoped to accomplish," Joe said. "Kiwanis to me or anything to do with civic volunteerism is a way of paying back. We are very fortunate to be in this world. I think this world is wonderful. Anything I can do on a volunteer basis is a plus," Joe said. "As you can see, service clubs have been good to me over the past 53 years. I have been truly blessed by these wonderful experiences," Joe concluded.

Since his induction into Kiwanis in 1951, Joe has brought in 161 members. He says he's paying it back, but in essence, he's paying it forward because the members of Kiwanis continue to give to others and are devoted to helping children all over the world.