Stories

 

The 106-year-old Rotary Club of Salisbury has presented its inaugural Ace Parker Community Service Award to 43-year club member and past president David Downes.  The Award is presented to a Rotarian who has played an active role in making our community a better place through volunteer service. 

 

Dave helped develop a mentoring program for youngsters that attempts to help them overcome the feelings of fear and low self-esteem when their families become homeless. Since the program’s inception, hundreds of children have been served through this program.  He has been an advocate for and a volunteer for building safer and healthier homes for low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

 

Additionally, he has been a volunteer in the delivery of meals through the MAC Center’s Meals on Wheels program.

 

Dave has been awarded $1,000 to donate to the charity of his choice.

 

 

Dave Downes, on the right, is shown with club president BJ Summers, on the left, and Ace Parker for whom the award is named.

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury is in its 106^th year of service to our community.  Interested in becoming one of the club’s People of Action?  Contact Ginnie Malone at 410-251-6188 or gmalone@cbmove.com.

 

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury is working to help the lives of Africans. 

 

About one year ago two doctors told us about the medical clinic they wish to establish in Kamachumu, Tanzania.  Local physician Justinian Ngaiza told us this month about what has been achieved, items such as a water well dug, building intact, solar panels beginning to be installed, etc.  

 

Next would be the arrival of the equipment, for which he told us the travel time for the cargo container from America to the Kamachumu site may take six to eight weeks. 

 

Our club is supporting this project through the acquisition and storage of medical equipment and financial support.

 

 

 

The first-year operating cost is anticipated to be between $200,000 and $300,000, which includes personnel, medical and administrative equipment and supplies, and other normal operating costs.

 

While the Rotary Club of Salisbury focuses on local community improvement projects, this time we are working on an international one.

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury is in its 106th year of service to our community and the world.  Interested in becoming one of the club’s People of Action?  Contact Ginnie Malone at 410-251-6188 or gmalone@cbmove.com.

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury has awarded six college scholarships, continuing its longstanding support of youth in our community.  

 

Five students received awards from the Helen C. Wootton Scholarship Fund. Helen Wootton was a long-time employee of the Wicomico County public school system.  She believed every student should have the opportunity to further his or her education.  This fund was established at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore in her name to honor her service to the youth of this community and provide scholarships to students from each Wicomico County public high school. 

 

The scholarships are awarded to students demonstrating a commitment to service, exhibiting leadership and a strong alignment with Rotary’s Four-Way Test code of conduct. The Four-Way Test asks: Is it the truth, Is it fair to all concerned, Will it bring goodwill and better friendships, and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?   

 

2025 scholarship recipients are:

The Rotary Club of Salisbury additionally awards a scholarship honoring former Rotarian Charles Whitmore.  This scholarship was established with the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore by Mr. Whitmore’s family in 2016.  It provides a scholarship to a female senior accepted into an engineering program at the post-secondary level.  The 2025 recipient is Mahala Kriger, graduating from Parkside High School, who has been accepted into the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland College Park.

 

Robin Evans, this year’s Rotary Club of Salisbury Scholarship Chair, said the scholarship committee was pleased with the number of strong applications.  “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our students and help them continue their educations.”

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury is in its 106^th year of service to our community.  Interested in becoming one of the club’s People of Action?  Contact Ginnie Malone at 410-251-6188 or gmalone@cbmove.com.

The Rotary Club of Salisbury, in its 106^th year of service to the community, has recognized Keith and Lora Adkins of Salisbury, Maryland as the recipients of its prestigious Four-Way Test Award.  The award is presented annually to non-Rotarians whose lives exemplify the tenants of the Rotary Four-Way Test that asks persons of the things they think, say, or do:

Mr. and Mrs. Adkins, on the left, formed Santa’s Angels, a charitable organization, in 1989, in response to a moment of realization involving their daughters, Amanda and Nicole, who were 14 and 9 years old at the time.  The Adkins family noticed that their children struggled to comprehend just how fortunate they were in comparison to others, not fully understanding that many people, especially those less fortunate, didn’t have the same blessings or opportunities that they did.

 

This awareness prompted Mr. and Mrs. Adkins to create the charity, Santa’s Angels, to help their daughters recognize the importance of giving back and to make a difference in the lives of others who may not be as fortunate.  For the past 35 years, Santa’s Angels has been bringing Christmas joy to families in need across the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware. What began as a small, humble operation, with Keith playing the role of Santa and Amanda and Nicole serving as his elves, helping just three families in Wicomico County, has grown into a large-scale community effort that now serves more than 150 families annually.

 

More than 300 volunteers, ranging from local church groups, service organizations, firemen, teachers, businesses, and individuals, come together each year to ensure the charity’s success. Their goal is simple but powerful: to ensure that every family, no matter its background or circumstances, can experience the magic of Christmas, filled with love, warmth, and the spirit of giving.

The Rotary Club of Salisbury, in its 106^th year of service to the community, has presented The Humane Society of Wicomico County with a $1,000 gift thanks to the success of the 2024 A Round for the Community golf outing.  Executive Director Kim Nock, on the left, accepted the check from club president BJ Summers. 

 

 

The September 5, 2025 edition of the A Round for the Community at the Green Hill Country Club just west of Salisbury will be the third such event the club has sponsored, allowing The Rotary Club of Salisbury to donate more than $40,000 to local non-profit organizations.  All proceeds are used to enhance and expand Rotary’s commitment to help students, military veterans, families in need, and others who need assistance.

 

This year’s event is presented by Meuse Post 194 Veterans of Foreign Wars.  The Rotary Club of Salisbury is seeking corporate and organizational sponsors and golfers.  Sponsorship levels range from platinum at $2,000, silver at $1,000, and bronze at $500 down to just $100 for on-the-course recognition signs.

 

Using a shotgun, best-ball format, the 9:00 tee off time event will begin with a continental breakfast and conclude with lunch and the presentation of golfer competition prizes and door prizes. Only 72 players will be allowed.  Details are available in the DOWNLOAD section of this website.  Additionally, persons may contact Golf Committee Chairman Bill Satterfield at billsatt@comcast.net.

 

Proceeds from previous editions of the A Round for the Community went to Disabled American Veterans Salisbury Chapter 34, the Humane Society of Wicomico County, Salisbury Urban Ministries, Christian Shelter, One Year to Empowerment, Rebirth, Dove Pointe, Main Street Gym, Epoch Dream Center, Crossroads Early Intervention, Horizons Delmarva, Inc., Village of Hope, United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, Salisbury Christian School, and Junior Achievement, among others.

The Rotary Club of Salisbury, in its 106^th year of service to our community, is announcing plans for its third annual A Round for the Community community-based golf outing to raise money to share with local non-profit and charitable organizations. 

 

A Round for the Community, presented by Meuse Post 194 Veterans of Foreign Wars, is the theme of this annual event   It’s a round of golf to help the Rotary Club of Salisbury stay around to help other organizations perform their missions to help our neighbors.  All proceeds are used to enhance and expand Rotary’s commitment to help students, military veterans, families in need, and others who need assistance.

 

Money raised through corporate sponsorships, golfer registrations, and other means is handled through the Rotary Club of Salisbury. We are seeking new participants to help us help our community.

 

Using a shotgun, best-ball format, the 9:00 tee off time event will begin with a continental breakfast and conclude with lunch and the presentation of prizes.  Only 72 players will be allowed,   Details are available in the DOWNLOAD section of this website.  Additionally, persons may contact Golf Committee Chairman Bill Satterfield at billsatt@comcast.net.

 

Proceeds from previous editions of the A Round for the Community went to Disabled American Veterans Salisbury Chapter 34, the Humane Society of Wicomico County, Salisbury Urban Ministries, Christian Shelter, One Year to Empowerment, Rebirth, Dove Pointe, Main Street Gym, Epoch Dream Center, Crossroads Early Intervention, Horizons Delmarva, Inc., Village of Hope, United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, Salisbury Christian School, and Junior Achievement.

 

Continuing its decades-long support of programs to enrich the youth of our community, The Rotary Club of Salisbury has awarded $52,500 divided among 13 local non-profit organizations through its annual 3-Point Initiative.  The initiative supports youth programs that promote leadership, integrity, and academic achievement.

 

Gus Lebois, chairman of the 105 year old club’s 3-Point Initiative, noted that “the 2025 grants can only be provided through the tremendous support of our partnering organizations.”

 

Funding for these grants comes from members of the Rotary Club of Salisbury, plus its partnering organizations that include the Donnie Williams Foundation, Richard & Patricia Hazel Charitable Fund, Richard A. Henson Foundation, and the Perdue Family Foundation.

 

Eligible organizations were government entities, faith-based organizations, and non-profit public charities that support programs for youth on the Lower Eastern Shore.  Members of the Rotary Club of Salisbury screened the applications, made site visits, and weighed the contributions that each organization would make to the community.

 

Receiving grants are:

The Rotary Club of Salisbury always is seeking new members.  We meet weekly on Thursday evenings beginning at 6:10 for fellowship, dinner, and a short program that ends the meeting by 7:30 p.m.  Contact BJ Summers at bjsummers072481@gmail.com or 1-443-880-4296 to learn more.

Chicken industry veteran and community leader Gus Lebois has been selected by members of the 105-year old Rotary Club of Salisbury to be the club’s President-Elect nominee, meaning he is in line to become President of the 90-member club in the 2026-2027 Rotary year.  

 

Gus retired in July 2016 after 39 years of service at Perdue Farms, where he held the position of Vice President of Wholesale Industrial Sales. His responsibilities included overseeing sales to all wholesale and industrial accounts with annual sales of around $500 million.  He attributes his long tenure there to Frank Perdue's influence, stating that he made the company his sole employer throughout his career.  He joined Perdue Farms after earning a bachelor’s degree and master's degree in poultry science in 1978 from the Pennsylvania State University.

 

Active in civic organizations, Gus has volunteered with the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., the Bethesda United Methodist Church Boy Scout troop, United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore including a 24 year tenure as board president, a member of the Board of Directors of the Christian Shelter, parish counsel member for the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, and several positions within the Rotary Club of Salisbury.

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury is a member organization whose product is service.  Fun, fellowship, and community volunteer work are hallmarks of the club.  Club members, People of Action, assist in many leadership roles in the community and provide countless hours of service to dozens of organizations. 

 

The Rotary Club of Salisbury always is seeking new members.  We meet weekly on Thursday evenings beginning at 6:10 for fellowship, dinner, and a short program that ends the meeting by 7:30 p.m.  Contact BJ Summers at bjsummers072481@gmail.com or 1-443-880-4296 to learn more.

 

The end of 2024 was noted by the Rotary Club of Salisbury as a time to share support with several local groups and individuals.

 

The first donation was a $1,000 gift to the Adopt-A-Block Outreach, Inc., a local charitable organization that provides quality food at no cost for households experiencing food insecurity.  Families and individuals are welcomed to shop for food with dignity and make their own food choices.  The heart of the mission is simple: Find A Need, Fill It.  Find A Hurt, Heal It.

 

"Our Rotary Club”, noted President BJ Summers, “is grateful for the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need." 

 

Club President BJ Summers, on the left, worked with Danielle Roach of the Adopt-A-Block program to share information about its food distribution program while presenting her with a $1,000 donation.

 

More about the Adopt-A-Block Outreach, Inc. can be found at https://adoptablock.live. 

 

The second gift was from the raffles at the weekly Rotary Club of Salisbury meetings.  The donation of $574 was directed to The Christian Shelter’s programs for children.

 

And finally, club members donated $630 to be divided among the 21 Meals on Wheels clients who receive meals delivered by club members through MAC, the area agency on aging.  These Christmas gifts were delivered as part of the club’s near-daily food distribution effort.

The Rotary Club of Salisbury always is seeking new members interested in serving their community while enjoying the company of other club members.  Want to be part of this dynamic membership organization?  We meet weekly on Thursday evenings for fellowship, dinner, and a short program that ends the meeting by 7:30 p.m.  Contact BJ Summers at bjsummers072481@gmail.com or 1-443-880-4296 to learn more.