By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
For 15 organizations in Reynoldsburg and Pickerington, the holidays came early this year.
The Rotary Club of Reynoldsburg-Pickerington distributed $10,000 to 15 organizations earlier this month as part of its program, “The Big Give.”
“We took the club and divided it into four teams and $2,500, and then told them to go into the community and find organizations in need,” said Mary Hudson, president-elect of the club.
Groups such as the Reynoldsburg-Truro Historical Society, Wesley Ridge Retirement Community and Reynoldsburg Helping Hands food pantry benefited from the philanthropic event, Hudson said.
A $1,500 grant to the Reynoldsburg-Truro Historical Society will be used to purchase archival supplies, said Mark Myers, president of the organization.
“The society receives many donations of vintage papers, books and other fragile items,” he said. “These must be preserved in special archival boxes and sleeves, lest the ravages of time and humidity slowly make them illegible.”
However, these archival supplies are expensive – making the gift from the Reynoldsburg-Pickerington Rotary Club priceless.
“The rotary money will enable us to start storing our valuable artifacts properly,” Myers said.
Rotary is a volunteer organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill. The clubs help improve communities through a wide range of activities.
Hudson said members of the organization would like to do another giveaway soon.
“I’m sure we will do this again in the not too distant future,” she said.
That’s good news to small organizations like the Reynoldsburg-Truro Historical Society.
“Most of us are just volunteers who run non-profits, have to do our own fundraising, and believe that what we are doing makes a difference in our community,” Myers said. “Often, it gets a little lonely, but when we receive public recognition and financial support such as what the Rotary gave us, it makes what we do seem all the more worthwhile.”
For information, go to rprotaryclub.com.
