On Tuesday morning, the Rotary Club of Patterson presented 19 charities, local organizations, and a scholarship recipient with cash donations totaling almost $15,000.
Patterson Rotarian members and award recipients gathered early Tuesday morning at the Club’s weekly meeting at the Patterson Recreation Center.
“In the past year, the members of Patterson Rotary have worked very hard to raise funds for the purpose of helping, supporting and giving back to the community,” said outgoing Club President, Anthony Molé. “It’s such an honor to support scholarships and summer youth programs, children and women's advocacy groups, local charities, veterans causes, food pantries, and so many other truly important and worthy causes.”
Today’s giveaway is one of two semi-annual Community Awards Giveaways, held by the Rotary Club of Patterson. Different groups received donations in the Club’s recent “Valentine’s Giveaway” back in February. Between community projects and the two Giveaways, the Rotary Club of Patterson has donated over $35,000 in cash to deserving charities, organizations, and students.
The Matthew Patterson Elementary School and George Fisher Middle School in Patterson each received a donation to send 4 under privileged children from each school to Camp Herrlich this summer. Camp Herrlich also received funds to match the difference for the school children as well as foster kids. The College Scholarship recipient Amanda Rozell, will be using the funds to attend nursing school.
The Club also helps another June Giveaway recipient, Putnam CAP (Community Action Partnership) with their annual Thanksgiving baskets and adjoining food drive. Patterson Rotary makes and donates roughly 30+ baskets every year. Putnam CAP is a local non-profit that currently provides 400 families on a monthly basis with various forms of assistance. They are now working on collecting school supplies (and donations to go towards purchasing them) in hopes of matching or exceeding their success from last year by providing 7 items from the school supplies list to each child.
The Xeroderma Pigmentosum Society's Camp Sundown was also a major recipient Tuesday morning. Caren Mahar started the camp to help children and their families who are living with this life altering condition. Patterson Rotarians also help Camp Sundown every summer by providing a huge dinner at the camp and cooking additional food items to help feed the campers for a week.
“Coming together to help our community is so important to us. As we say in Rotary, ‘Do Good and Have Fun’,” remarked Molé. “It’s very rewarding for our members to come together to help worthwhile organizations, including those here in the room today. They make our community a better place for all of us.”
In addition to the above mentioned recipients; The Patterson Schools, the scholarship, Putnam CAP, Camp Sundown, and Camp Herrlich, below is a list of all the other Recipients of the June Giveaway:
- Brewster Theater Company – providing performing arts to the community.
- Child Advocacy Center of Putnam County - helping raise awareness and increase education in all aspects of abuse.
- Putnam Communities That Care Coalition - to help with advertising their campaign to reduce the use of harmful substances by our adolescents in the community.
- Putnam County's 4-H Fair - to support the 46th Annual 4-H Fair, this July 28-30th. 600 Putnam County volunteers are expected; we should take note that half of the volunteers are youth. Putnam County's 4-H Youth Development Programs create supportive, fun learning environments that help youth reach their fullest potential.
- The Friends Network - provides people with disabilities the opportunity for community integration and friendships through a variety of structured social and educational activities.
- Matthew Patterson Elementary School and George Fisher Middle School
Camp Scholarship Funds to send four students from each school to Camp Herrlich this summer. - Guinan’s Aurora - Jay Vitale honors his friend John Guinan by repairing old bikes for cancer patients.
- Necessities Bags – Breast Cancer patient 'goody' bags of things needed and otherwise not provided while in the hospital for treatment.
- NY Riders - for veterans’ and first responder projects.
- Putnam ARC Litter Patrol (a.k.a. PARC) – providing advocacy and programming for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
- Patterson Community Church Food Pantry - to purchase items not normally donated. The food pantry is currently assisting an average of 30 to 40 families each time.
- Putnam County Humane Society - to help go towards the new trainer just hired to work with difficult dogs for behavioral training so they can become more adoptable.
- Putnam Dental Missions, Inc. - to help pay for accommodations for the volunteers that would otherwise not be able to go on the November 5th mission. Staff and others will go once again to Palmarito, Dominican Republic in an effort to provide this very poor area with basic dental needs and children’s multi vitamins. Putnam Dental also has an annual Dentistry from the Heart; it’s a free day of dental care and a Red Cross Blood Drive held the first week of every May at their location in Brewster.
- Semper Fi Odyssey - to help Vets acclimate back into society and the work force.
The Rotary Club of Patterson hosts three major fundraising events each year, the proceeds of which, go to the Community Awards Giveaways. The first event of the year is Men Who Cook, held annually in April. The highly popular gastronomic event is helmed by amateur and professional chefs who serve a tasting, buffet-style, of their specialty ranging from appetizers to entrees, and of course, desserts! The Patterson Rotary Blues & BBQ Festival presented this year by ACME Markets of Patterson, has become a two-day, must-attend family/food/fun and music event happening this September 16th & 17th at the Patterson Firehouse from 12 to 7 on both days. The BBQ ribs are in such high demand that they often sell out early. And finally, the Club’s newest fundraising event coming up on Saturday, October 7th is Touch-A-Truck for Heroes held at Thunder Ridge Ski Area. Kids of all ages and kids-at-heart get to climb up onto their favorite big trucks and maybe even honk a few horns. Proceeds from that event go to local Veterans’ causes.