Pictured: Byesville Rotary
basket assembly crew Evelyn Spring and Becky Bruner at work.
Members of the Byesville
Rotary Club assembled 175 food baskets for distribution to Rolling Hills
families in need this Christmas. The club has been providing food baskets for
over 20 years. This is the club’s biggest service project of the year. Members
work all year to raise funds to support the project.
Assembly and distribution of
the baskets took 2 days for the club. Club members partnered with Rolling Hills
Schools to collect canned goods. Mid East CTC Buffalo Campus also donated
canned goods. The club also worked with local businesses to purchase frozen turkeys,
milk, eggs, butter, potatoes, apples, oranges, and onions.
The Byesville Rotary stepped
in at the last minute to take responsibility to provide Christmas gifts for
Rolling Hills children. The Meadowbrook Interact club took on much of the
responsibility to raise funds, purchase and wrap the gifts. Rolling Hills staff
raised money by holding dress down days. Students chose kids names and
purchased gifts or donated money toward the purchase of gifts. Dental students
from Mid East donated a bicycle and other items for the toys for kids project.
Byesville Rotary members donated some of the gifts needed.
As a result of these efforts,
the Interact Club was able to provide gifts for 60 Rolling Hills children with
wish lists. Byesville Rotary President, Dennis Harding, stated “The Rotary club
is very thankful for the outpouring of support this Christmas project had from
the members of the local community.”
On Friday, December 13, club
members, Meadowbrook Interact members, plus friends and families of the
Byesville Rotarians met to assemble the baskets. Canned goods were collected
from the Rolling Hills schools and boxes were constructed. Hundreds of donated
canned goods were sorted and placed in boxes.
On day two, December 14, club
members arrived early to assemble a second basket filled with perishables—turkey,
milk, eggs, butter, potatoes, oranges, apples and onions. Families who signed
up for the Rotary program began arriving at 7:30 to pick up their baskets and
toys for their kids. Rotarians were joined by students from Meadowbrook, family
members, and friends from the VFW helped carry baskets to waiting cars.
Gifts for over 80 kids were
distributed to families who provided Christmas wish lists for their children.
The club meets 7:30 am
every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate
Road, Byesville. Everyone interested in giving back to their community is
invited to join. Call Membership Chair Jim Vaughan, 740-260-2969, to learn more
about the club. More information is available at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283