Local Community / Vocational & Youth / World Community / Fund Raising / Program / Local Foundation / Rotary Foundation / Classification / Orientation

Local Community Service

2010 marks the final installment of our 3-year pledged totaling $20,000 towards the new Bill Brown High School Stadium project. The money was used for enhancements which included artificial turf and a 5,400-square-foot field house with locker rooms for both the Blacksburg Bruins and the visiting teams.

The Town of Blacksburg, acquired a 9.9-acre parcel of land from former Blacksburg resident and Rotarian, Captain T. P. Wong to develop an urban park. For its Rotary Centennial Project , the Rotary Club of Blacksburg implemented the master plan, spent many hours clearing the land, built a pavilion, and put in a brick pathway and benches. Our club is proud to have created a special place for generations to enjoy.

In 2003, our club participated in the creation of a pocket park on the Huckleberry Trail, named Talbot Park. This park was funded and constructed by the Rotary Club of Blacksburg in cooperation with Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg in memory of Richard B. Talbot, a former club president who served from 1993 to 1994. Talbot’s efforts helped to make possible the Virginia/Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicines. He was the first Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and was killed in a plane crash. In 2009, we rededicated Talbot Park placing with a permanent marker continuing our quest to make a difference in our community.

Presented each January, the Rotary Club of Blacksburg recognizes a non–Rotarian who meets the standards of Rotary International through the Pat Cupp / Ward Teel Citizen of the Year Award. The award recipient is a person or group who sees a problem, gets involved and achieves results and lives by the Rotary motto "SERVICE ABOVE SELF”. The Citizen of the Year began in 1990 and is named after two of club’s deceased members who where model citizens. In 2009 we recognized the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, an all-volunteer student squad which was founded in 1969 by four students and today has approximately 40 members. This group was acknowledged for their service to the community in the campus shootings of April 16, 2007 and for the squads continuous rescue work over four decades.

Our club completed a community service project with Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley an organization with tutors individuals who have low literacy levels, are illiterate or who want to learn English. The Rotary Club of Blacksburg, along with the Christiansburg-Blacksburg Rotary Club, renovated the Literacy Volunteer office space to contain an on-going used book sale area to help the organization generate valuable operating funds to sustain their mission.

The Rotary Club of Blacksburg recognized Frankly H. Moreno with the “Four Avenues of Service Citation” award. This award recognizes Moreno’s outstanding efforts in the club. The citation commends the service carried out by an individual Rotarian in the club, thereby reinforcing the importance which Rotary places on the personal involvement of each club member in Rotary service activities.

Other programs our club supports regularly include:

The Montgomery County Christmas Store assists low-income families in Montgomery County during the Christmas season. Our club volunteers as a group to work the Christmas Store each season and we donated $1,500 in FY 2010..

The Women’s Resource Center offers shelter and services for victims of domestic and sexual violence. In FY 2010, the club donated to $1500.
 
The Free Clinic of the New River Valley provides high quality health care and dental services to people who lack insurance and cannot afford healthcare. In FY 2010, we donated a check for $1500.

Each October 16th, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Food Day to heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world. Our club participated in this year’s event by hosting a food drive to benefit the local food pantry of the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program

Interchange Cleaning (4x a year): The Rotary Club of Blacksburg maintains the intersection of Price Fork Road and the 460 by-pass interchange. This clean up challenge began in 1992 after a charter was attained through the Virginia Department of Transportation. By the terms of the agreement, the group meets at 8:00 AM on a Saturday each quarter and completes cleaning by 9:00 AM. Typically, 10 to 12 members participate. Trash bags and vests are provided.  A club attendance credit, or make-up, that can be used at any time, is given to participants.


To learn more about what Rotarians are doing globally in community service read the RI Community Service e-newsletter which is published every two months and includes the latest service news and resources for Rotarians. Sign up.

Back to top of page

Fine Arts Scholarships: Each Spring, our club presents the Fine Arts Scholarship Awards to outstanding Montgomery County high school seniors.  The scholarship is $750. Students are nominated by their teachers and then present a portfolio in the case of visual art, or an audition in the case of performing art.  The winners then present their art at the Fine Arts Luncheon.

Vocational Scholarships: Each Spring, the Outstanding Career and Technical Education awards are presented to four Montgomery County high school seniors. This is a $750 scholarship towards the student’s college tuition. Our club awards a scholarship to help these students get a good start at regional Community Colleges.  The awards also encourage them, their peers, and their teachers to continue to put forth extra efforts to serve their community. Technical Education teachers nominate students and students can apply with a Teacher’s nomination. Our club selects the recipients based on performance, initiative and dependability in their chosen fields. Additionally, it is important that the student’s activities exemplify two of Rotary’s ideals- high ethical standards and service to others.

Bane Atkinson Scholarship: In 2003, the Rotary Club of Blacksburg recognized its founding president Bane Atkinson by establishing an endowed scholarship at New River Community College in his name.  It takes $12,500 to endow a scholarship. Typically these funds sit for one year after which time up to $1,000 is awarded to a student each year.

Rotary Youth Leadership Seminar : Each December, the our club sponsors two high school students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Seminar at Virginia Tech-- an annual weekend for young people who want to learn more about leadership, leadership skills, and how to effectively use these skills in their daily lives. The club provides tuition for the seminar and transportation. Applicants interested in attending this seminar must fill out an information sheet and participate in an interview.

Group Study Exchange: Each year Rotary District 7570 sends 10 to 12 non-Rotarians abroad for a month of intensive cultural, vocational and social interaction. All expenses are paid by the Rotary Foundation, our district and the clubs in the host district.

Skelton Endowed Ambassadorial Scholarship: This scholarship represents Rotary District 7570 all over the Rotary International World. Our club worked to fund this important scholarship to reach a level of $1,000,000 to be able to send an ambassadorial scholar to study, and represent our district, anywhere in the Rotary world. We will also be making it possible for an outstanding student from another part of the world to come to our country to study for a year.

To learn more about Rotary in vocational service, read the e-newsletter which provides Rotarians with Vocational Service news and resources every two months. Sign up.

Back to top of page

Contributions to Rotary International are used to support a variety of programs at home and around the world. Rotarians focus their efforts in the following areas: maternal and child health, clean water and sanitation, disease prevention and treatment, basic education and literacy, economic and community development and peace and conflict prevention/resolution.

Many Rotary clubs help to install wells and develop water treatment and distribution systems to increase access to fresh drinking water for communities in need, especially in developing countries. The Rotary Club of Blacksburg's World Community Service Committee has teamed up with Walter Hughes and his Rocky Mount Club to help the people of Ghana eradicate the guinea worm and provide clean water to their villages. Walter has brought many clubs together with his grants that combine Rotary's matching capabilities with those of corporate America.
 
 
Like most Rotary Clubs, we are also involved with eradicating Polio, which is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease that strikes children mainly under the age of five in countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In 1985, Rotary International created PolioPlus – a program to immunize all the world’s children against polio. Our club provides funding for this effort annually. To learn more, see this web site dedicated to Rotary’s PolioPlus program. To keep up to date about the latest efforts in eradicating polio, subscribe to RI's free quarterly e-newsletter End Polio Now. Subscribe now

Rotarians believe that when you understand other cultures, build friendships, and help people in need, it is easier to resolve problems or misunderstandings peacefully.Each year, up to 100 Rotary World Peace Fellowships are offered on a competitive basis at six Rotary Centers, which operate in partnership with seven leading universities. Fellows can earn either a master’s degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies, conflict resolution, or a related field, or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution. Melanie Moore, Rotary Peace Scholar sponsored by our club, has been accepted to the International Christian University Rotary Peace program in Tokyo, Japan, beginning Fall 2010.

The Rotary club of Blacksburg raised $5000 to assist the victims of the 7.2 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The funds have purchased five ShelterBoxes which provide tents, blankets and supplies to house up to 50 people. Among the first international relief workers to reach Haiti were volunteers from ShelterBox a United Kingdom-based disaster response organization supported by Rotary clubs worldwide.

Rotary offers a bi-monthly International Service Update  e-newsletter which provides current information about World Community Service, Rotary Volunteers, and Rotary Community Corps, as well as disaster relief and recovery. Sign up for the e-newsletter.

Back to top of page

In 1982 we began our weekly raffle during lunchtime to raise money for our local community efforts. The pot is split with the weekly winner. 

Kroger Gift Cards - Raise money (5% of your purchase) for our club by grocery shopping. To learn more about the Kroger Cares Fundraising Program, see this page or contact Marilyn Bowman to receive a club numbered shopping card.

Blacksburg Rotary Golf Tournament: Generally occurring in May, the Local Foundation of the Rotary hosts a Captain’s Choice Benefit Tournament that helps to fund our local community programs.

Local Foundation Auction: The annual auction occurs around March / April to raise money for community organizations. Monies from this auction go to support local charities and provide scholarships for high school students to pursue college and vocational training. Raffle tickets are $25 for one ticket or $100 for 5 tickets.

Yard Sale: The Blacksburg Rotary Club hosts an annual yard sale to raise money for local community efforts while helping the incoming students at Virginia Tech to find furniture, appliances and more to outfit their new homes away from home. The event started in the early nineties and over the last five years has raised over $8000.

Mardi Gras: Each year our Club holds an auction to raise money for the Rotary International Foundation, a not‐for‐profit corporation which enables Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. In February, the Club will host a Mardi Gras Masquerade and Auction for members and guests.

Put soon-to-expire, unused United Airlines miles toward a good cause: Donate them to Rotary’s Humanitarian Miles program. You can give your United Airlines miles in 1,000-mile increments by filling out the donation form (PDF).

Become a “Sustainer”: Rotarians who contribute $100 or more per year to the Annual Programs Fund  are automatically recognized as a Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member. Sustainers are critical to the Foundation. If every club member contributed $100 every year, Rotary could nearly double its efforts to help needy people worldwide and support the continued growth of its programs.  All gifts cumulatively count toward other Foundation recognition programs .

Donors of $1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants Program, or people who have that amount contributed in their name, can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows . Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives a commemorative certificate, a pin, and a medallion. Paul Harris formed the world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905. The first Paul Harris Fellow was recognized in 1957.  Link here, to learn more about the Paul Harris Fellows Society.  

Subscribe to the Visions newsletter at no cost to get charitable estate and financial planning ideas from The Rotary Foundation. Learn more about planned giving through Life income agreements, charitable bequests or Life insurance.

Back to top of page

Program

Our goal is to provide interesting, enlightening, and entertaining speakers each week. Ideally, speakers will enrich our members’ knowledge of the community around us.

Local Foundation

The Local Foundation Committee holds a fund raising event each year to benefit the Rotary Club of Blacksburg's Local Foundation. In 2008 and 2009 the event was a Raffle and Auction held in the Fall. For 2010-2011 the event will be held in the Spring of 2011.

Back to top of page

Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation Committee works with the Fund Raising Committee by holding “Mardi Gras” type events each year to raise sufficient funds to name ten new Paul Harris Fellows each year. The committee periodically provides information and encourages members to become “Sustainers”. It is our goal to maintain the number of “Sustainers” in the club to 70% at a minimum.

In addition, it is the Committee’s responsibility to send out quarterly billings to all Sustainers, record each member’s contribution and maintain each member’s total contribution to the Rotary Foundation.

Classification

The objective of the Classification Committee is to assist the Membership and other committees in obtaining the best people as new members who meet the requirements of Rotary and who fit into our classification system.  We want our membership to represent as many classifications within our overall community as possible.  We presently have sufficient open classifications to more than double the size of our club without adding additional members to classifications already filled with at least one member.  Our classification system is an evolutionary process as new businesses and professional activities become a part of our dynamic community.  The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center which began some twenty-five years ago and now has in excess of 140 companies as tenants with approximately 2,200 employees, is a good example of the opportunities for new classifications. 

Back to top of page

Orientation

The Orientation Committee is responsible for providing timely and relevant club information to prospective new members. Meetings are held, when needed, to educate potential members on the history, activities, and goals of both Rotary International and the Local Club. From this information, these individuals are able to determine if Rotary is right for them.

Back to top of page