The Kiwanis Club of Arlington is known throughout Northern Virginia for its annual Blueberry Sale.  In 2023, the Club was among 14 finalists for Kiwanis International’s “Signature Project” competition, recognizing the annual Blueberry Sale, which is now in its 13th year.  It is our way of providing a healthful, nutritious product to the community and raising funds for the benefit of our children’s causes.  Blueberries are delivered the last weekend of June in 10-pound boxes freshly-picked from our New Jersey supplier.  Customers anticipate the sale and begin ordering as early as May.  In addition to advance online orders, we sell additional boxes for three days at our pick-up location.  Customers also have the option of buying boxes of blueberries for donation to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). In the past three years, we have donated more than two tons of blueberries to AFAC, providing fresh fruit to Arlington’s neediest families. Proceeds also benefit our scholarship program, our grants to area agencies that support children, and our Key Clubs.  It is an event that involves most of our members in promoting sales, transporting boxes, order fulfillment, and public relations.  And besides encouraging healthy eating, it raises awareness about Kiwanis in Arlington and the surrounding area.

Blueberries have become an important part of our long-standing relationship with the Arlington Food Assistance Center, one of the safety-net agencies that we support monetarily.  By asking our customers to add a box or two of blueberries for AFAC to their order, we have been able to provide several tons of blueberries to Arlington’s neediest families.  And AFAC has helped us secure refrigerated trucks for storing the blueberries and provided logistical support for transporting blueberries.
AFAC’s CEO calls it a “Fantastic Win-Win Situation!”