Non-profit community service organization holding national convention in NKY | Community Spirit

COVINGTON, KY (FOX19) - Almost 700 Ruritan Clubs are in the Tri State for the 80th Annual Ruritan National Convention, held January 24-27, at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

Members and other delegates from 25 states represented nearly 30,000 Ruritan volunteers across the nation who gather to participate in self-improvement workshops, organizational business sessions, and the election of Ruritan National Officers for 2013.

Ruritans attending the 80th Annual Ruritan National Convention, donated over $20,000 in donations for the Operation Smile program. Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity that provides free reconstructive surgery for children and young adults born with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates worldwide, trains in-country doctors to help build self-sufficiency in developing countries, and works to reduce the incidence of cleft lips and cleft palates.

Ruritans also presented local fire, rescue, law enforcement, and hospital personnel with hundreds of Rudy Bears - the Ruritan mascot. The stuffed bear is given to children in crisis situations in an effort to distract or calm them. Since 1988, Ruritan Clubs have provided hundreds of thousands of Rudy Ruritan teddy bears to fire, rescue, police and children’s agencies to comfort children in times of illness, accidents, or other crises. The organization also recognized clubs and districts for donating thousands of pounds of food during the year to their local food banks.

The 82nd Ruritan Convention also featured a range local entertainment, a Ruritan Celebrates American opening ceremony, a patriotic All American Luncheon, and a variety of educational workshops. Ruritan National is the parent organization of all local Ruritan clubs, organizations devoted to improving America’s communities through fellowship, goodwill and community service since 1928.

Ruritan National is the parent organization of all local Ruritan clubs, organizations devoted to improving America’s communities through fellowship, goodwill and community service since 1928.