SHS KEY CLUB LEADERS — Officers with the Steubenville High School Key Club include, from left, Libby Saccoccia, Kiera O’Brien, Maggi Cucarese, Abbey Bottegal, Rylee Hubbard and Chloe Petrelle. The school club was founded by the late William Croskey in 1949, making it the third oldest Key Club in Ohio. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Members of the Steubenville High School Key Club have been involved in countless projects for the community.

The club was founded in 1949 by the late William Croskey, making it the third oldest organized Key Club in Ohio. Although the club was originally made up of only male students, it became available to males and females to join in 2004.

Ross Ivkovich, who teaches social studies and coaches tennis, is currently the fourth adviser for the club, with Joseph Biasi having served as adviser before him.

The overall goal of the club is to give back to the community and better the students that are involved. Every year, the Key Club performs the Honor America Ceremony. This year’s guest speaker was Arabia (Littlejohn) Shanklin, a graduate of Steubenville High School and the Naval Academy.

The current student president of the club is Abbey Bottegal.

The club holds meetings once a week to discuss upcoming events and help with school-sponsored assemblies and dinners. It also helps yearly at the Sycamore Center.

“We will help serve dinners at the various functions they sponsor,” Ivkovich said of the dinners that are served to less fortunate families around the holidays and other times during the school year.

Ivkovich added the club has helped with various distribution days at the Urban Mission Ministries warehouse as well as the United Way Day of Caring.

The club also helped out at the annual ISERVE event, which is a community service project, and offers opportunities for life experiences, growth and community outreach.

(Chad Gardner, Theo Loot, Xander Whirlow and Zach Francis contributed to this story.)