The Kiwanis Club of Bradford is proud to announce a new community tradition: the inaugural Kiwanis Champions Awards, taking place Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
The Kiwanis Champions Awards will bring our community together for an evening of recognition, celebration and service while raising funds to support the programs and projects that allow Kiwanis to continue making a difference throughout the Bradford area.
Tickets for the event will be $50 per person and will include dinner, entertainment and the presentation of four community awards.
Celebrating the People Who Make Bradford Better
Every community has people who quietly step forward when they are needed.
They volunteer their time. They protect their neighbors. They create opportunities for young people. They support families. They lead by example, often without expecting recognition in return.
The Kiwanis Champions Awards were created to help tell those stories.
This new annual event will recognize individuals and organizations whose service has made a meaningful impact throughout the Bradford area, with a particular emphasis on work that improves the lives of local children and families.
The inaugural awards will include four categories:
Brighter Future Award
Presented to an organization whose measurable work has made a meaningful difference in the lives of local children or families.
Valor Award
Recognizes courage and service, particularly among first responders and public-safety professionals whose actions have protected or supported children, families or the wider community.
Everyday Hero Award
Honors an unsung community member who consistently helps others and strengthens our community without seeking recognition.
Rising Star Award
Recognizes a young person who is already demonstrating leadership, compassion, initiative and a commitment to serving others.
A New Chapter for Kiwanis Fundraising
For 68 years, Kiwanis Kapers held a special place in the history of the Kiwanis Club of Bradford and our community.
As the club looked toward the future, we recognized that we could no longer support Kapers at the scale and quality that tradition deserved, and that other organizations may be better equipped to produce that type of show.
Rather than attempting to recreate Kapers in a smaller form, we saw an opportunity to begin something new.
The Kiwanis Champions Awards will carry forward the spirit of bringing our community together while shifting the spotlight toward the people and organizations already doing extraordinary work throughout our area.
Our hope is that this event becomes an annual opportunity to discover stories that might otherwise go untold and to give our community the chance to say:
We saw what you did, and it mattered.
Supporting Kiwanis Programs in Our Community
The Kiwanis Champions Awards will also serve as the Kiwanis Club of Bradford’s new signature fundraising event.
Proceeds from the evening will help support the club’s continued work throughout the Bradford area, including:
- Scholarships
- Youth programs
- Key Club activities
- Partnerships with local organizations
- Community service projects
- Programs benefiting children and families
Every ticket purchased and every sponsorship secured helps Kiwanis continue investing directly back into our community.
Public Nominations Opening Soon
The Kiwanis Club of Bradford will soon begin accepting nominations for the inaugural awards. You can keep an eye out for those to open here: Kiwanis Champions Awards
We encourage residents, schools, nonprofits, first-responder agencies, youth organizations, faith communities, service groups, businesses and civic leaders to help us identify deserving individuals and organizations.
Some of the most important work in our community is done quietly. This is our opportunity to make sure those stories are heard.
Nomination details, ticket information and sponsorship opportunities will be announced soon.
Save the Date
Kiwanis Champions Awards
Saturday, November 14, 2026
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Tickets: $50 per person
We hope you will join us as we begin a new Kiwanis tradition and celebrate the people who make Bradford a stronger, more compassionate community.
Who are Bradford’s champions?
We look forward to finding out.