Rotary Club of Hagerstown Foundation awards local grants

Twenty-five Washington County charitable organizations were awarded a total of $62,800 in grants June 19 at a celebratory lunch held at the Morris Frock American Legion Post 42,405 Northern Ave., Hagerstown.

Fundraising events held by the Rotary Club of Hagerstown, donations to the foundation in memory of deceased rotarians and donations for specific charitable purposes provide the basis of the annual grantsawarded.

This year’s golf tournament raised more than $43,000.

The Rotary of Hagerstown Bull and Oyster Roast is another foundation fundraiser. This year the Washington County rotary clubs joined to staff the Bull and Oyster Roast for an all-time high attendance of more than 1,000. The participating clubs split the proceeds from the Bull and Oyster Roast according to predetermined portions.

For years, many community service projects were funded personally by members of the club or their businesses when community charitable needs were brought to the attention of the club.

In 1980, The Charitable Foundation of the Rotary Club of Hagerstown was organized exclusively for charitable purposes as defined in Section 501 C 3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Funds are distributed to Washington County nonprofit organizations for capital expense projects according to anobjective review process explained on the club website.

Since 1980, the Rotary Club of Hagerstown Foundation has awarded $2,344,746.09 to local charitable organizations. The grants awarded June 19 are included in this total. Organizations receiving grants included:

• Aspiring to Serve Inc.
• Breast Cancer Awareness-CV Inc.
• Brooke Lane Health Services Inc.
• CASA
• Cedar Ridge Children’s Home and School Inc.
• Community Free Clinic Inc.
• Community Volunteer Fire Company of District 12
• Federal Little League of Hagerstown Inc.
• The First Hose Company of Boonsboro
• Girls Incorporated of Washington County
• Habitat for Humanity of Washington County
• Hagerstown Children’s School
• Horizon Goodwill Industries of Hagerstown
• Hancock Fire Company Inc.
• Hospice of Washington County Inc.
• The Interfaith Coalition of Hancock
• The Maryland Theater
• MIHI Inc.
• Mount Aetna Volunteer Fire Department
• Otterbein United Methodist Church
• REACH of Washington County
• The Rotary Club of Hagerstown
• United Way of Washington County
• Wells Recovery Inc.
• Women’s Club Foundation Inc.

Rotary is an International, non-political, non-religious organization with more than 1.4 million members.

Rotary members give their expertise and time to assist with six priorities in need of solutions. They are peace and conflict prevention and resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, as well as economic and community development.

Rotary International provides 400 million polio immunizations each year as it continues to battle polio and other diseases.

There are Rotary Clubs in almost every country in the world.

For more information about The Rotary Club of Hagerstown or its foundation, go to http://hagerstownrotary.org/.