Longmont’s ​Sunshine Club continues to spread brightness through the pandemic

Longmont’s Sunshine Club continues to spread brightness through the pandemic.

In years past, Sunshine Club would arrange yearly dental screening clinics at elementary and middle schools throughout the St Vrain Valley School District, or SVVSD, with the help of local dentists. Due to the COVID pandemic, Sunshine volunteers were unable to visit schools in-person. 

“During the past two years, in person clinics have not been possible due to COVID restrictions, but the Sunshine Club has worked with school health clerks to identify students who may need urgent care,” said Kate Gaddis, a member of the Sunshine Club dental committee.

The Sunshine Club helps keep parents informed of the screening results, as well as helping cover some of the dental care costs for students in need. Parents of SVVSD students with urgent dental needs can reach out to Gaddis directly for assistance.

The Sunshine Club was founded in 1902 by five Longmont schoolgirls from Central Elementary, making it one of the oldest continuous charitable organizations in Longmont. 

“Over the last 119 years, the purpose of the club has evolved from the initial idea of simply helping those in need to addressing a variety of issues,” Gaddis said. “In the earliest years, projects included Christmas presents for the less fortunate, holiday baskets for nursing home residents, and support for individuals in need of assistance for everything from coal for heat to new clothes for high school graduation. By the 1940s, providing urgent dental care for area school children became an area of interest.”

The women of the Sunshine Club have kept the philanthropic legacy going for years, and even generations. Club president Viki Samson attended Central Elementary as a child, and her daughters and granddaughters attended Central as well.

Aside from local donations and larger grants, one of the main fundraisers for Sunshine Club has been an annual tea party and bake sale held in May every year at a member’s home. Due to COVID, the tea party was also cancelled this year, but the club made a quick pivot to curated tea baskets. 

“This year we had to pivot, so we came up with this idea of doing the tea baskets, and we did very well, but we missed the camaraderie of the people,” Samson said. “The hope is to keep our name in front of everyone, so they know we’re still here and helping in the community, and we’ll be back.”

Though the Sunshine Club’s primary focus is the dental health of Longmont’s children, they have several other active endeavors. The Senior Smiles program works with the Longmont Senior Center to keep Longmont’s elders informed on dental hygiene, which will resume monthly meetings in September. 

For the third year, Sunshine Club has offered a scholarship for Longmont students interested in pursuing careers in the dental health field. This year’s recipient, a senior from Longmont High School, was awarded $2,000 to study dentistry in hopes to one day open a practice that aids underserved children.

“Still true to its early mission in the community, Sunshine Club also supports residents of the Emergency Family Assistance Association’s transitional housing at Atwood House, as well other non-profits unique to Longmont such as A Woman’s Work and O.U.R. Center,” Gaddis said. “During the past year (Sunshine Club) has provided special support for nurses and others responding to the COVID crisis at Longmont’s two hospitals.”