Matchmaker, matchmaker …
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
Catch me a catch
Matchmaker, matchmaker,
Look through your book,
And make me a perfect match.
For the daughters in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” finding the perfect match seemed as simple as singing a song. For many of our alumni, it was as simple as joining Circle K International.
We knew of several CKI alumni marriages already, but we were still surprised by the number of responses we got when we posted these questions on the CKI Alumni Facebook page:
We know CKI is all about service. However, did CKI unknowingly serve as matchmaker? Did you, or anyone you know, marry a fellow CKI member? Any engaged alumni?
Looking at the number of alumni who met through the organization and later married, one might say Circle K membership and service projects are the keys to finding true love.
Here are a few stories from our alumni:
I met my wife at the MDA telethon. We just reached 25 years (of marriage). We are both Kiwanians and I am the Kiwanis advisor to the Key Club in Piscataway High School in New Jersey. – Mitchell Fuhr
Jonathan and I met volunteering at good ol’ Kiwanis Pancake Day my freshman year. He apparently offended me with some comment about sororities, but I don’t remember it. We’ve been married 8 years now. – Cathy Garrison
Kent Holaday and I were governors together (Rocky Mountain and Alabama Districts, respectively) then served on the international board together the following year. That was 20 years ago and we’ve been married for 17! – Denise Sisk Holaday (pictured with Kent, left)
I met my wife, Brenda Sonner, while I was running for International Vice President and she was Secretary-Treasurer of the Capital District, in 1979. We got engaged at the Phoenix convention in 1980, were married that December and are about to celebrate 34 years. And meanwhile, our daughter Stephanie is now a member (of CKI) at the University of Alabama. – Peck Fox
I know many couples who got together while in Circle K. Although, usually they were part of the same club (and of course same school). My wife, Jackie Negron-Pappas, and I are a bit more unique as we met while being members of different Circle K clubs in two completely different parts of the state. She was at New Paltz, while I was at Hunter College. She came from Staten Island, while I lived in Astoria. We would never have met if not for Circle K. We served on the District board together and eventually married. We have since joined a Kiwanis club and helped start a new Kiwanis club where we serve as club officers together. So we give Circle K and Kiwanis credit for bringing us together! – Anthony J. Pappas (pictured with Jackie, right)
I met my husband, Matt, in 2000 as a member of the Capital District CKI board and we married in 2006. – Tara Brent
My husband Tim and I became close friends through Circle K 24 years ago. We’ve been married for 18 years! – Debi Ferson Eggleston (pictured with Tim and their children, left)
I met my wife (from another college) at a CKI district retreat, and we have been happily married for 16 years! – Matt O’Keefe
I met my hubby through Circle K. There are a whole bunch of us from the New York District who met and married because of CKI. – Sarah Jones Lein (pictured, right)
The first time I met Charlie was at CKI Summer Social. After he graduated from the University of Illinois, he joined the eKiwanis Club where we became close friends. Then we attended a wedding of another CKI alumni, Kathryn Armstrong Martin, where we had our first kiss (thanks Kat!). And thanks to another alumni, Kristin Konecny Maloney, for bringing me to the wedding as her guest! We were married the next year. Now, 10 years, three kids and a puppy later – we are still going strong! – Michelle Pikscher
I met Scott Ackerman when we were both on the Circle K District Board from different schools—he was part of Stockton and I was at The College of New Jersey. We would have never had reason to meet if it hadn’t happened through Circle K. We’ve been married four years now and just had our second beautiful daughter – Kristina Ackerman (pictured with Scott, left)
I met my wife Lori through Circle K at NYU. Just celebrated our 25th anniversary in August 2014. – Kevin Kamper
I was lucky enough to meet Eric Kelley at district events and marry him a few years later. Joining Circle K just might have been the best decision I made in college. – Tara Kelley (pictured with Eric, right)
I met my husband at Virginia Tech CKI; we’ve been together nearly 15 years and married over 10! – Maureen Frank
I met my husband in Circle K. We’ve been married 33 years. – Carol Zobel
My husband and I met through CKI and we were married 25 years ago. Also, we have four friends who are married more than 20 years and met through CKI. – Donna Banny-Fuhr (pictured with family, left)
Fact: According to the Facebook Data Sciences study, 28% of individuals listed as “married” on Facebook attended the same college as their spouse.