CELEBRATING SERVICE: Pawtuxet Valley Rotary Club holds annual event to recognize service

Oct 25, 2023

The Pawtuxet Valley Rotary Club held its annual Celebration of Service on June 29 at Club Jogues in Coventry to review its accomplishments during the 2022-23 Rotary Year which ended on June 30. The club was founded in 1959 and has a long history of community service serving Coventry, West Greenwich and West Warwick. Accomplishments for this year include:

Thanksgiving donations of $1,100 in cash plus $600 in food donated to the Emanuel Lutheran Food Bank in West Warwick while also helping with food distribution for Thanksgiving.

Christmas donations including $500 to a Coventry family, $500 to a West Warwick family, and $500 to the West Greenwich Heating Assistance Program

$1,500 in scholarships for local students: $500 to Coventry with a $500 match from the Coventry Teachers’ Alliance; $500 to West Warwick, and $500 to West Greenwich

Arctic Playhouse joint fundraiser with Scituate Rotary — $1,200 was donated to the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick.

District grants:

Literacy Volunteers of Kent County, which provides tutoring for struggling learners and immigrants, received $1,500 and a member participated in the tutoring services.

Southern RI Volunteers, which provides services to the elderly (helping with things like shopping, doctors’ appointments and companionship) received $1,500 along with help providing and delivering food. The Rotary Club worked in partnership with member Myron Gadoury through the Emanuel Lutheran Food Bank of West Warwick.

Earth Day Cleanup in West Greenwich – The Rotary Club cleaned a section of Weaver Hill Road past a spot the club adopted and maintains. Volunteers worked all over West Greenwich during the cleanup, organized by the West Greenwich Land Trust.

The PV Rotary continued to maintain the adopt-a-spot, previously a weed-covered parcel, on Weaver Hill Road in West Greenwich.

The 40th annual Ben Boyle and Ron Kostyla Annual Golf Tournament raised $13,350 for the SHARE Foundation, which provides specialized technology to severely handicapped individuals.

Club members donated over $800 to Rotary International this year.

In addition, the club recognized and honored six individuals who continue to provide amazing community service to those in need. These individuals included:

Lisa Abbenante, executive director of The Tomorrow Fund, which provides support and financial resources to parents of children with cancer.

Jim Belanger, president of the Arctic Playhouse Foundation, which has founded and built the Arctic Playhouse where local theatrical productions are held.

Ray Dauplaise, president of the West Warwick Assistance Agency, which provides food and help to families in need.

Pat Johnson, who has raised money for numerous charitable causes including the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer Association, the ALS Association, The Children’s Wish Foundation, along with others. She has been an amazing supporter of the Coventry High School Alumni Association and her high school class, the Class of 1981.

Julie Leddy, director of the Coventry Housing Authority, which provides housing for people with low income and provides opportunity for some to buy a home.

Bob Meehan, member of the West Greenwich Town Council, member of the Coventry-West Greenwich Lion Club with a long history of community service.

The Pawtuxet Valley Rotary Club is always looking for members who would like to give back to their communities. If interested email us at [email protected].

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