Jan. 24, 2025
The Lakewood City Council was joined by members of the Lakewood Community Foundation Fund at its meeting on Monday to announce the recipients of the Larry Saunders Service Award.
Saunders is a former Lakewood Police Chief who helped form the department in 2004 and who gave countless hours back to the community. Saunders’ wife Sally Saunders was at the meeting to present the award with Mayor Jason Whalen.
This year’s recipients were Larry Woods, Jr. and the Kiwanis Club of Clover Park.
Woods, Jr. was recognized for his “untiring leadership” of the Lake City Neighborhood Association. A retired member of the U.S. Air Force, Woods. Jr. has spent more than 15 years volunteering on numerous advisory committees and commissions with the city and school district. He is a tireless advocate for youth. He also has played a critical role in advocating for accountability and public safety. He served as a trusted civilian liaison on investigations of police-involved shootings and was part of the community tapped to assist with the public process involved in hiring Lakewood’s newest police chief.
As part of the award, the Lakewood Community Foundation Fund makes a grant donation in the name of the recipient to their charity of choice. Woods, Jr. selected Communities in Schools of Lakewood to receive the grant.
The group award was given to the Kiwanis Club of Clover Park. Through visionary outreach and imagination, the members of this civic organization are drawn to community service and embrace their mission “to improve the world one child and one community at a time.” Without fanfare over the years, the club has helped distinguish Lakewood as an outreach and caring city. Kiwanis underwrites Lakewood nonprofit Caring for Kids, hosts charity basketball events, and supports the Lakewood Family YMCA and Lakewood Baseball Club. They foster gardens for Springbrook Park, provide youth programs for children of Clover Park schools, and assist the Emergency Food Network. Members help maintain roadways in Lakewood through the “Adopt-A-Street” program, and operate the concessions stand at Harry Lang Stadium. The club is instrumental in the upkeep and expansion of playground offerings at Kiwanis Park.
Kiwanis Club of Clover Park designated Partners for Parks and its H-Barn project as the recipient of its grant award.