Plenty of 2023-24 success stories for Hampton Township Rotary Club

The end of June marked the conclusion of the 2023-24 year for the Hampton Township Rotary Club, during which members demonstrated their commitment to Rotary International’s principal motto:

Service above self.

Tom Baker, the club’s president for the year, compiled a list of Rotarians’ success stories. Among other acts of service, they:

• Purchased and dropped off 3,080 units worth of milk, eggs, butter and cheese to North Hills Community Outreach food pantry distributions, netting $10,000 worth of items through successful implementation of a Rotary District 7305 grant.

• Delivered 52 weeks of Meals on Wheels, more than 500 total in 104 shifts by two members per week.

• Hosted Pelin Girgin of Ankara, Turkey, as a Rotary Exchange Student, with Shawn Wright and family providing her with a place to stay.

• Gathered for four fellowship events in honor of Pelin: a kickoff to her year attending Hampton High School, holiday party, school musical night and sendoff party.

• Raised funds through the club’s annual Hampton Rotary Firecracker 5K on July 4, 2023, and prepared for this year’s event.

• Provided $10,000 worth of Scholarships to Hampton High School students.

• Oversaw the regional Rotary efforts to provide scholarships at A.W. Beattie Career Center.

• Featured 20 speakers at club meetings, all of whom received $100 toward the charity of their choice, totaling $2,000 worth of impact.

• Supported other local organizations including Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry, HEARTH housing for families in need, Al’s Bike Drive and Hampton-focused 5K events, and rang Salvation Army bells to raise funds for North Hills Community Outreach.

• Engaged with several District 7305 events and hosted joint meeting with John Hartman, 2023-24 district governor, in the fall.

The club meets at noon Thursdays at Wildwood Golf Club, 2195 Sample Road, Hampton. Scheduled speakers include Matt Meiers, founder and executive director of So Many Angels, July 25; Jason Mignanelli, contributing writer for TribLive and the Hampton Journal, Aug. 1; and Jackson Kerchis, partner of Happiness Means Business, Aug. 8.

For more information about the club, visit www.facebook.com/HamptonTownshipRotaryClub.