And the winner is...

The Rotary Foundation! It's getting an additional $500 contribution, thanks to the Tri-County Presidential Challenge contest.

At the beginning of this Rotary year, the presidents of the Bastrop County, Giddings and La Grange clubs settled on a challenge to see who could raise the most money, per capita, for the Rotary Foundation this year. The winner was to be decided as of May 1.

The winning club was Giddings, which raised $168.50 per capita. La Grange was just behind at $162.61 and Bastrop County had $151.96. As a result, each of the two "losing" clubs contributed an extra $250 to the Foundation in the name of the Giddings Club.

Pictured, La Grange president Chuck Mazac presents a $250 check for the Foundation to Giddings president Wesley Keng as its share for the contest.

Total giving by the three clubs combined at this same point two years ago was $14,882.50. This year it stands at $25,559.50 -- an increase of 72 percent. The winner of this presidential challenge, created by Bastrop's John Eaton, La Grange's Chuck Mazac and Giddings' Wesley Keng, is the Giddings Rotary Club, but much more importantly, the winner is The Rotary Foundation.