The Marquette branch of Circle K, a nationwide community service organization, has been named the recipient of the 2006 Spirit of Marquette Award.

"I am absolutely excited and exuberant that we are receiving this award," said Anette Divjak, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and past lieutenant governor for the Metro Division of the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District of Circle K, of which Marquette is a member.

"It just so wonderful to someone to say thank you to us, that we embody what a Marquette student organization should be," Divjak said. "It's a great reason to show younger members that we need to keep doing what we're doing."

According to Samantha Twomey, the organization's president for the 2006-'07 school year and a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, Circle K is affiliated with Kiwanis International, a service organization founded in 1915 and devoted to serving children and young adults across the world.

"Our main basis is service, leadership and fellowship," said Beth Billingham, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and the 2005-'06 Circle K president, who nominated the organization for the honor. "Being here at Marquette, service is something that's so special to Marquette students. This is something I really wanted Circle K to win. We had such a great year, I really wanted to be sure we were recognized. It is such a great honor."

This is the second time since 2000 that Circle K has won the Spirit of Marquette Award, which was established in 1992 to honor student organizations that embody the university's spirit of service through the Marquette and Milwaukee community.

According to Marquette's Web site, the Office of Student Development distributes up to three of the awards annually, along with $300 per award to support the organization's future activities. Circle K last received the honor in 2002.

Among Circle K's achievements this year was racking up the most service hours in its district, which includes 25 schools from Wisconsin and upper Michigan. According to Billingham, Marquette had about 1,438 service hours, while the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse — which has twice as many members as Marquette's 21-member branch — came in second with 1,399.

Service, however, isn't the only thing Circle K is about.

"It's a social club masked as a service organization," said Peter Hartmann, district service coordinator for the 2005-'06 school year and a junior in the College of Engineering. "Service comes first. But it's much more than that. Working with people who choose to help other people — you meet so such neat, high quality individuals."

Some service activities the organization has worked on include Project Linus, in which students make fleece blankets to give to children in the hospital, a Kiwanis Family Service Day held with the other schools in its district and working with the children of the national organization United Cerebral Palsy.

According to Billingham, any Marquette student is welcome to join Circle K, but must pay dues to become a member.