It’s Who You Know
Many famous people in history have been Jaycees. Among them are
- Larry Bird – Boston Celtics
- Warren E. Burger – Chief Justice of the United States
- Bill Clinton – President of the United States
- Gerald Ford – President of the United States
- Wendell Ford – U.S. Senator, Governor of Kentucky, also served as US Jaycees President
- Bill Gates – Chairman of Microsoft
- Al Gore – Vice President of the United States
- Larry Holmes – Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion
- Howard Hughes – Industrialist
- Hubert Humphrey – Vice President of the United States
- Charles Lindbergh – Aviator
- Walter Mondale – Vice President of the United States
- Richard Nixon – President of the United States
- Elvis Presley – Musician, Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumous recipient, 2018.
- Lani Rae Rafko-Wilson – Miss America 1988
- Ronald Reagan – President of the United States, Actor
Here in Hollywood, the celebrity list is also impressive on a local level. It includes members of just about every other service organizations, including the Lions Club and the Kiwanis, with which the JCI has an international affiliation.
“On an international level, the Jaycees and Kiwanis have formed an international partnership where after you’re 40 you go on to join the Kiwanis,” explained Gronvold.
“And a while back I created a local ‘associate member’ program for people who were older, and they still help us all the time,” she added.
“It’s a lifelong commitment,” said Mahar, who lives it.
“As a kid, we did so many things: the Candy Cane parade — I remember John, Deb’s husband, dressing up as Santa Claus and Elvis,” she recalled.
“We did every theme,” interjected Gronvold.
“We did,” continued Mahar, “and still do, holiday events, a barbeque every summer and a chfor the people at Lincoln Manor, an assisted living facility in Hollywood, and a Christmas for them every winter, and lots of other events throughout the year.
“Now my son is nine, and I want him to grow up the way I did, giving back. I’m always trying to teach him how to be a part of the community and appreciate everybody and see the good in everyone. So when I had the opportunity to come back in to the Jaycees a few years ago, it was an easy decision.”
Through her years as a Jaycee, Gronvold has chaired numerous projects, held every position possible in the organization, and became President of her Coconut Grove chapter in 1992. She moved to Hollywood in 1998 and has been with the chapter here ever since.