Kiwanis International President Susan Petrisin jumps with the Army's Golden Knights Aug. 13, in Ottawa, Illinois. Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights
Kiwanis International President Jumps With Golden Knights
By Nick Janeway, USAREC Public Affairs
Aug. 19, 2015
For Kiwanis International, celebrating a 100-year anniversary is a very exciting time. For its newly elected president, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane adds just a little more.
Susan Petrisin was among a group of lucky individuals chosen to skydive with the U.S. Army parachute team, the Golden Knights. The August 13 jump at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, was part of an event aimed at furthering the partnership between the Army and influential organizations such as Kiwanis.
Kiwanis International is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to service to others in 80 countries.
Shortly after being elected the first female president in Kiwanis’ 100-year history, Petrisin happily accepted the invitation from the Golden Knights.
“There’s no better people to jump with than the Army,” she said.
Petrisin, from Lansing, Michigan, has a long history with Kiwanis.
“Kiwanis is like my second family,” she said. “It’s been a part of my family since I was in Key Club in high school, and I know that the things I do today are because of Kiwanis.”
Dan Murdock, chief of outreach programs at U.S. Army Recruiting Command, says Kiwanis is a strong advocate for the Army.
“Kiwanis offers recruiters a way to become more involved in their communities through Key Club,” Murdock said. “These partnerships are vital to the Army mission.”
Since Kiwanis began in 1915, its mission has been to develop quality young men and women.
“The Army has the same values that we do, so we match so well together,” Petrisin said. “Our goal as we continue this partnership is to connect Kiwanis to their local battalion and get (the battalions) involved in their communities.”
As for skydiving with the Golden Knights, Petrisin said she’d gladly do it again.
“It was amazing,” she said.
By Nick Janeway, USAREC Public Affairs
Aug. 19, 2015
For Kiwanis International, celebrating a 100-year anniversary is a very exciting time. For its newly elected president, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane adds just a little more.
Susan Petrisin was among a group of lucky individuals chosen to skydive with the U.S. Army parachute team, the Golden Knights. The August 13 jump at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, was part of an event aimed at furthering the partnership between the Army and influential organizations such as Kiwanis.
Kiwanis International is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to service to others in 80 countries.
Shortly after being elected the first female president in Kiwanis’ 100-year history, Petrisin happily accepted the invitation from the Golden Knights.
“There’s no better people to jump with than the Army,” she said.
Petrisin, from Lansing, Michigan, has a long history with Kiwanis.
“Kiwanis is like my second family,” she said. “It’s been a part of my family since I was in Key Club in high school, and I know that the things I do today are because of Kiwanis.”
Dan Murdock, chief of outreach programs at U.S. Army Recruiting Command, says Kiwanis is a strong advocate for the Army.
“Kiwanis offers recruiters a way to become more involved in their communities through Key Club,” Murdock said. “These partnerships are vital to the Army mission.”
Since Kiwanis began in 1915, its mission has been to develop quality young men and women.
“The Army has the same values that we do, so we match so well together,” Petrisin said. “Our goal as we continue this partnership is to connect Kiwanis to their local battalion and get (the battalions) involved in their communities.”
As for skydiving with the Golden Knights, Petrisin said she’d gladly do it again.
“It was amazing,” she said.