Club History  

The Kiwanis Club of Blue Ridge, Georgia applied for a charter on July 21st 1931 and the club officially began on September 8th. The Copperhill Kiwanis Club helped organize this club. There were 27 members, all men, because the club started as men's only. The first president was Westin Whitfield Sr. with R.G. Hudson as vice president. Membership dues were $2 per person, paid twice a year. The magazine subscription was $1 every six months. So, each member paid $6 per year to remain in good standing. Although these first members didn't pay much, we have to realize that this club began while the country was suffering one of the worst years of the Great Depression. But these early members were determined to serve the community and help those less fortunate than themselves.

The club meetings were first held at the old Blue Ridge Motel, now the site of the Methodist Church. By 1947, they were meeting at Harry's Restaurant close to Blue Ridge Dam. They were forced to move next door to Harry's after a fire at the restaurant. They also met at Fannin Inn for awhile, then several other places before settling on the Circle J Steakhouse where the meetings are still held today.

The club has helped organize several Kiwanis clubs around the area. Blue Ridge Kiwanis has sponsored a scholarship progam for more than 30 years. The club sponsored Boy Scount Troop 31 in Blue Ridge since 1938.

The club used to invite all the farmers that grew 100 bushels of corn to the meeting to be honored. The event got so big they had to stop. There has been money given to the FFA club at Fannin high school. It was called the Pig chain. It was money given for them to buy new litters.

The Blue Ridge Kiwanis Fairgrounds was given to the club in 1957 by the Fannin County Bank. The fairgrounds is used for many activities for the community including the annual Rodeo, Fair, auctions, Sunny D children's theater camp, bingo and many more community activities.