Competitors on the Corel/Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour are playing doubles with Kiwanis International when it comes to service. Not only are the tennis stars intense athletes on the court, but they also have managed to serve aces of kindness in their spare time.

"Serving the World's Children" joins WTA forces with the Kiwanis International Worldwide Service Project to virtually eliminate iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) by the year 2000. And the unlikely marriage between athletics and a service organization already has resulted in successful fund raising to benefit children globally. "Our players have recognized the need to give back and have used their celebrity status to make a difference in the lives of many," says Bart McGuire, the WTA tour chief executive officer.

Queens of the court such as Jana Novotna, Sabine Appelmans and Amanda Coetzer, along with a host of other female tennis celebrities, have donated their time to produce public-service announcements and participate in other activities to raise funds toward the eradication of IDD. Recently, two $1,000 "Player of the Month" awards were donated to the Worldwide Service Project by Chase Manhattan Bank on Novotna and Patty Schnyder's behalf.

Besides their work with the Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project, players have spent hours visiting hospitals, schools and nursing homes; conducting autograph sessions and sponsoring activities, clinics and auctions. The Women's Tennis Association champions indeed have helped Kiwanis International move close to "game, set match" against iodine deficiency disorders worldwide.

When a team of Russian health officials visited the United States recently, they intended to learn how the North Americans fortify and market food products.

"From the salt mines to the consumer's table." Kiwanis International and its Worldwide Service Project's partners helped arrange the group's visit to the Morton Salt Company's Hutchinson, Kansas, salt production facility. Fortification of food is very important for Russians; many people need additives to their food. It is a very serious problem in Russia and the government there is especially interested in fortifying its children's food.

Kiwanis Keynotes is an exclusive monthly column in the Massapequan Observer.