Rotary Club of West Springfield
Contact: Noreen Tassinari
413-205-5037
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA—January 11, 2012
West Springfield Rotary Awards Community Grants
The Rotary Club of West Springfield awarded more than $9,325 in grants to seven organizations, Tuesday, January 10 at the Monte Carlo Restaurant.
Recipients were:
Ramapogue Historical Society--$1,500 for the appraisal and preservation of a linen needlework, done in the period of 1800-1810, depicting the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock.
Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield--$2,000 to purchase equipment for the physical education program.
West Springfield Friends of Park and Recreation--$500 to purchase a new roof for Cook’s park pavilion and cleanup and painting of the support structure.
Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity--$500 for two generators and ten drills to be used to support volunteers and the Habitat program.
West Springfield Veterans’ Council--$1,950 for the purchase of a granite bench at the Veterans’ Memorial at the eastern end of the Town Common.
Lutheran Social Services--$875 to purchase a laser printer and ink supplies for the computer lab for students in the expanded computer education program.
The Rotary Club of West Springfield also allocated $2,000 for the purchase of 146 new winter coats for children in grades K-5 in the West Springfield school system who could otherwise not afford them.
Additional spring grants were awarded during the summer by The Rotary Club of West Springfield—$2,000 for the purchase of 300 tee shirts, gloves and materials for the “Clean Up West Springfield” spring clean-up and a grant of $1,498 was given to the West Springfield Environmental Committee for two motion-activated trail cameras for the Bear Hole area. The trail cameras will assist in documenting wildlife in the area and help to prevent vandalism and illegal dumping.
The grants were presented by Bill Shepard, chair of the Rotary Grants Committee. Other members of the committee are Marco Amato, Curtis Edgin, Tony Franco, Dan Marini and Dianna Robinson.
Each spring and fall, the West Springfield Rotary Club provides grants to civic organizations, educational institutions and not-for-profits who are striving to improve the quality of life in West Springfield. The next round of Community Grants will be awarded in the spring.
Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
The Rotary Club of West Springfield, under the leadership of President Simon Brighenti, meets each Tuesday at 12:15 at the Monte Carlo Restaurant. Its major fundraiser, West Side’s Taste of the Valley is scheduled for June 7-10 on the West Springfield Town Common.