Since 1925, the Key Club at Puyallup High School has dedicated time and service hours aimed at creating awareness and advocating for the community.

The club describes its mission statement as follows: “Key Club is an international student-led organization which provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership.”

As a group, the club’s motto is Caring—our way of life.

Students today are doing helpful work in Puyallup and around the South Sound, just as club participants made a difference nearly 30 years ago.

“I remember organizing a care package for soldiers in Iraq,” Jim Main, part of 1991 alumni, said. “Mostly toothbrushes and toothpaste.”

In addition to making care packages, Main said he remembers several other community service events he participated in through the Key Club. “We also were encouraged to take part in Big Brother Big Sister. We sponsored the Special Olympics and we cleaned up a road,” Main said.

Many people remember the Key Club as more than acts of community service.

“The Key Club isn’t just good for your college resume and for making friends,” Main explains. “You can also make a great contribution to your community. Furthermore, you gain an understanding of other communities that might not have it so well, and you can help them out.”

As Key Club members learn that they can influence real social challenges, they become more confident. Getting connected with a Key Club can help enhance your reputation in your community.

“I liked the community service and how it made me more a part of the community. It also made me more aware of the problems outside our small community,” Main said.

Today, students at Puyallup High School are carrying a legacy of community betterment that began almost 100 years ago.

“Because of the Key Club I have a strong desire to travel to see and learn how others live,” Main said.