Capital Rotary Club

At the annual club assembly to review Capital Rotary’s accomplishments for 2016-2017, president Tommy Gibbons thanked members for achieving highlights that included:

• Earning a Leadership Citation badge for participation in local/district community service projects plus contributions for international humanitarian outreach.
• Donating dictionaries to third-grade students in 12 Richland County District One schools. Over the past 12 years, the club has distributed personal dictionaries to12,150 youngsters.
• Collecting 61 pints at the annual Red Cross Blood Drive, each donation helping to save the lives of up to three people.
• Raising $2,100 at a Lake Murray charity fishing tournament and over $18,000 in holiday wreath sales to benefit college scholarships; club stipends currently go to four students.
• Contributing almost $40,000 in charitable funds to The Rotary Foundation, to Polio Plus efforts to eliminate the crippling disease worldwide, and for the CART (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust) Fund to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease.
• Supporting The Rotary Foundation with 54 Paul Harris Fellows ($1,000 donation), 46 Benefactors ($1,000 donation via will), four Bequest Society members ($10,000 donation upon death), four Major Donors (donation greater than $10,000) and eight Paul Harris Society members ($1,000 donation yearly) in our ranks.
• Providing $1,000 for flood assistance in Louisiana as well as $585 from individual members.
• Helping a local family with Christmas gifts and working with the Saint Bernard Project to repair the family’s house after flooding.
• Adding six new members and getting them involved and engaged early in club activities.
• Continuing community service projects with Meals on Wheels and Harvest Hope Food Bank
• Publicizing club activities with 60 website and social media posts; reaching 8,609 people through social media; 3,002 website visitors; 30 press releases to local media; and mention of our club in 14 district e-newsletters.