Hawkeye Hallmark Collectors Club

Local club leads the way

The Hawkeye Hallmark Collectors Club of Johnston, Iowa, has been leading the way in more ways than one. As one of the oldest clubs, they were established in the early- to mid- 1980s—before Hallmark officially started the national club. They were also one of the first to have a sponsored in-store artist signing event in 1993 with the Santa’s Favorite Stop collaborative piece. Plus, they were featured in one of the “Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments: A Collector’s Guide” books that Clara Johnson Scroggins authored.

It is this spirit of entrepreneurship that drives the club to be engaged with their community in numerous ways. Every Sunday the club gathers at Sarah’s Hallmark Shop in Johnston, Iowa, to prep for the next KOC convention or plan the next volunteer activity.

Their community outreach impacts many and supports some of the most needy. In October, the club meets to decorate a tree with donated ornaments that is then auctioned off at the Blank Children’s Hospital’s Festival of Trees and Lights. Their tree has brought in as much as $10,000 in donations—at one time!—to benefit the hospital.

The club also spends time packing meals with Meals from the Heartland. The food is then distributed locally and also sent around the globe. This is another way the Hawkeye Club is leading in a big way and impacting others by adding good to the world.

The club also makes time for fun and, of course, the treasured Keepsake Ornaments that bring them together. Currently they are prepping their game plan for the next convention. This year the club is sending as many as 15 members to Kansas City. They hope to adventure out together and come back empowered and excited for another year of serving and adding value to their community.