Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club wraps up 2009

Gainesville, Va. - Always with their eyes and ears open for opportunities to practice the motto "Service above Self," members of the Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club are wrapping up another busy year that included consistently supporting PACE West School in Haymarket.

Through a business partnership with PACE West, and in conjunction with Haymarket Woman's club and Sheppard of the Hills Church, the Rotarians have provided gifts and funding for PACE's Angel Tree. The club will be delivering a pile of presents to the school this week to help make the holidays a little brighter for children with special emotional and physical needs.

This year, too, the club was awarded a grant allowing the Rotarians to support family event nights at PACE. The Rotarians held a craft night and a Thanksgiving celebration in partnership with the Haymarket Woman's Club.

Annually, the Rotarians also purchase dictionaries and distribute them to third-graders in local elementary schools. This year, the club distributed 300 dictionaries to children at PACE West, Tyler Elementary and Gravely Elementary.

"It is an incredible experience to see how excited the children are to receive their very own dictionaries," said Marilyn Karp, co-coordinator.

Club President Charlie Mills even brought along his own 100-year-old dictionary to show the children who were amazed at the look and feel of the book.

This Saturday, Gainesville- Haymarket Rotarians will be bell ringing for the Salvation Army at the Giant grocery on Litton Hall Road.

Club members will be joined by members of Battlefield High School's Interact Club, a Rotary International service club for young people ages 14 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.

The Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club was pleased to learn that the Rotary Walk project, which they organized, raised more than $10,000 to help end polio. Thanks to the generosity of the Lake Ridge Club, the total exceeded the $10,000 goal at $10,474.00.

Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary member and event organizer Eric Latham said members were "walking for the millions of children who, without Rotary, would be crippled by polio and unable to walk."

Other projects that required long-term planning and cooperation with various groups included Haymarket Earth Day and the Children's Wellness Festival.

Over 90 percent of the membership participates in Earth Day, an event that highlights recycling services, town clean-up efforts and environmentally conscience vendors. A children's treasure hunt, bands and food complete this fun, educational celebration.

At the Children's Wellness Festival, needy children and their parents receive referrals for professional medical services and learn about community resources that help individuals and families maintain safe and healthy lifestyles.

This year, the club also held its first Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament to support Medical Missionaries, PACE West School, the Children's Wellness Festival, the "Our Hero" Red Cross Campaign, Rotary Youth Leadership awards and the eradication of polio worldwide.

Among other activities, the club has held a fundraiser for BARN Inc., a secular not-for-profit organization providing housing, supportive services, life management skills and financial education for homeless women and their dependent children. The Rotarians also continue to promote the "Hug a Hero Campaign," which provides children of service people with dolls resembling their family member heroes.

"If anyone has some time to help others, we would like to invite you to meet with us for breakfast some Wednesday morning," said Mills.

The Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary meets every Wednesday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Piedmont Country Club,14675 Piedmont Vista Dr., Haymarket.

Contact Membership Chair Bryan Garcia at 703-753-9100 x103 or bryangarcia@exitheritage.com to learn more.