The Baldwinsville Rotary Club recently celebrated the latest addition to their village with a ribbon cutting ceremony and festive gathering at Canal Walk Café. The club purchased a sign and two benches that the village installed along Marble Street, near some new docks along the canal, that welcome boaters to the community.
The funding for this project was obtained through the District Grants program, accessible only to Rotary Clubs that meet certain qualifications.
Rotarians are members of a club, clubs make up a district and all the districts in the world make up Rotary International. Rotary International runs its own foundation to fund charitable works around the world, focused on education, clean water, eradicating disease and more. It is a top ranked foundation on Charity Navigator.
The Rotary International (RI) Foundation, celebrating 100 years this year, is supported mainly by contributions from club members and rewards them for their philanthropy in a way that allows them to give back to their local communities.
Each year, clubs set goals for giving to the RI Foundation with the hope that each member will make a donation. The RI Foundation then holds and grows the funds for three years, and returns the original contributions to the district to be used for grants.
Each district runs a District Grants Program that clubs can participate in to apply for access to these funds. Eligibility requirements include attending sessions about how to write grant proposals and making sure your club contributes to the RI Foundation each year.
Baldwinsville Rotary has been recognized for their commitment to the RI Foundation, achieving EREY status, meaning “Every Rotarian Every Year” has given something and they have averaged at least $100 per member.
Thanks to the generosity of Baldwinsville Rotary’s members supporting the RI Foundation and members attending the grants training program, Baldwinsville was eligible to apply for a grant. It was just a matter of coming up with a project that would better our community and the club members could get behind.
With recent upgrades to the shore of the canal on Marble Street, beautification of that space seemed like a great fit. Rotarian Ann Smiley led the charge, applying for the grant, and forming a committee that included members Dean Johnson, Bruce Stebbins and PJ Scott. The committee got approval from the village and worked with them to make sure the design would fit the style of our community.
“It was a cooperative effort and now anyone docking their boats to come and visit our scenic village will feel welcome,” said project lead Ann Smiley. “Rotary is proud to have their stamp on this new feature in our community.”
It was also important to the club that whatever project they did would serve as a recognition of Rotary. For those that know what Rotary is all about, seeing a sign sponsored by a Rotary Club sends the message that this is a community committed to service and volunteerism. For those that are not familiar, it may prompt them to learn more.
The Baldwinsville Rotary Club been giving back to their community for over 40 years, with members committed to volunteering in service both locally and globally. Members work together to raise money and find helpful ways to put it back into the community, through scholarships, supporting other organizations and implementing programs. The club is also very social, having fun while working together for the greater good. Guests are always welcome to come to a meeting and learn more.
The club meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays or at 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays at the First United Methodist Church. Be sure to check the schedule at BaldwinsvilleRotary.org in case there is something special going on.
