On June 27, Bruce Harville, President of the MBR Foundation, announced this year’s awards. They are as follows:
Remitts: Janet Tupy. Remitts benefits local food pantries. Started in 2008, they make mittens from old sweaters, boiled to felt-like material. They raised $3900 the first year and $50,000 last year.
Rubin for Kids: Randy Sproule from Madison South Rotary. Rubin for Kids provides funds for scholarships for students with significant needs. The scholarships are for MATC programs, either general studies or technical programs. Students receive $1,000 each year for two years. All recipients are the first in their family to attend college.
Box of Balloons: Sarah Wells. Groups pack a birthday party box with cupcakes, gifts, and balloons to deliver to homes for parents to create a party. They plan to give 250 empty boxes this year for companies and individuals to fill.
Middleton Outreach Ministry: Patricia Eldres. They serve Middleton, Madison, and the Cross Plains area with food and provide small grants to help prevent evictions. The award will be used for a new, oral health project providing kids with an electric toothbrush, paste, and instruction. A dentist will give free exams.
Madison Ice Arena: Andrea Chafee. The organization owns and operates two ice arenas. One has been modified to meet requirements for adaptive skating. The funds will be used for replacement ice skates for the adaptive programs. Kids will be able to take the Learn to Skate program, Sled Hockey program or Special Hockey programs.
Boys and Girls Club of Dane County: Karen Gallagher. Founded in 1999, they serve 6,000 children in afterschool programs, including tutoring, recreation, and incentives and training to encourage college with the TOPS program. The awarded funds will go toward the summer program.
Books for the World: Thom Weiss. This year, four semi-loads of books were sent to Houston and more will be sent before the year’s end. Twenty Rotary clubs participated in various ways. They are happy to contribute books to local groups as they do now with MOM.