‘Gang of Nine’ members give update to Rotary
Two members of the “Gang of Nine” who have helped keep youth baseball alive in Greenfield operating this year were speakers at the June 11 meeting of the Greenfield Rotary Club. Despite the city’s difficult financial plight, many dedicated volunteers have kept baseball alive and well by putting on fundraisers and volunteering to mow and maintain the fields. As word has spread, thanks to news articles in media across America and even in England, Japan and Mexico, donations have come pouring in to help the community. Fred Everhart, who has done much of the speaking for the Gang of Nine, said the results have “exceeded our wildest dreams.” Mike Shumate added that while times are tough, “this gives hope.” Pictured L-R are Rotary President Mike Penn and Gang of Nine members Shumate and Everhart.
Wisecup speaks to club
Paul Wisecup gave an interesting program about his travels and Rotary adventures to the Greenfield Rotary Club recently. Pictured L-R are Rotary President Mike Penn, Paul and Mary Wisecup.
FESTIVAL TIME NEARS!
One of the club's largest projects is sponsorship of the Wheels of Progress Festival, held each year during the third weekend in July. Click on the link below for more information:
WHEELS OF PROGRESS FESTIVAL
OUR CLUB
The club sponsors the annual Wheels of Progress Festival during the third weekend of July each year, and is involved in many community projects. On a national and international level, the club participates in many projects for the benefit of others.
PROJECTS
"He profits most who serves the best." So says the Rotary motto, and our club has fun serving the community. The Rotary Club of Greenfield owns and operates the Ralph W. Phillips Recreation and Civic Center, home of the Greenfield Head Start Program and the scene of many community activities, including basketball games, Christmas parties and the McClain High School All-Night Party. Proceeds from building rentals help pay the operating expenses, but the club supplements its income through spaghetti dinners, the Wheels of Progress Festival and other activities to keep this valuable community center operating.
Each spring the Greenfield club joins forces with the Hillsboro Rotary Club to raise funds for the Highland County Society for Children and Adults. This organization offers assistance to Highland Countians in need without the red tape often associated with charitable organizations. The annual radio-telethon in March has raised more than a million dollars since its inception in the early 1970s. Funds are expended for wheelchairs, hearing aids, orthopedic devices, transportation vouchers and a host of other uses. In addition to the telethons there is a gospel sing. Highland County is proud of this amazingly successful program of people helping people.
As Christmas nears, Rotarians get involved in the Needy Kids Program, which helps provide food baskets and presents for those in need. Some 400 families received assistance last year.
As fundraisers, Greenfield Rotary sponsors a pair of spaghetti dinners each year -- one during football season and one during the basketball campaign. The club also sponsors the annual Wheels of Progress Festival during the third weekend of July. Funds from these and other projects are returned to the community through the above activities and other projects and donations.
If you would like to know more about Rotary, contact any member of the Greenfield club.
For more Rotary information visit:
www.rotary.org (official site for Rotary International)
www.rotary6670.org (official site for our Rotary District)
R.I. honors local club
Greenfield Rotary Club received several honors by Rotary International in 2008. According to District Governor Pat Edwards, the Greenfield club is the only club in the district ever to receive four Presidential Citations in a one-year period. The club’s honors included the following:
BEST COOPERATIVE PROJECT: Telethon to support Highland County Society for Children and Adults, presented to Greenfield Hillsboro clubs
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: For renovation and continuing sponsorship of the Ralph W. Phillips Community Recreation and Civic Center.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS AWARD: For Greenfield club’s sponsorship of Needy Kids radiothon to help needy children and their families at Christmas.
The club also received a ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD.
The Rotary District 6670 newsletter congratulated all the clubs and individual Rotarians who demonstrated their support of the ideals and mission of Rotary to attain these awards, stating “You embody this year’s motto, “Rotary Shares.”
