GREENVILLE — On June 15, members of the Greenville Rotary Club gathered to honor local charities and high school scholarship winners at its “Rotary Gives Back” event, which took place at the Radiant Lighthouse Campus, located at 5256 Sebring Warner Road, in Greenville.
Now, in its 10th year, the “Rotary Gives Back” event highlights the Rotary’s mission to promote the Darke County community, encourage philanthropy and charitable giving, as well as celebrate the accomplishments of talented high school seniors ready to embark upon new academic ventures.
“After COVID, it is great to be able to gather in person once again and present these scholarships and grants,” said Christy Bugher, past president of the Greenville Rotary (2019-2020 and 2020-2021). “‘Service before self’ is our motto. So whether we are doing the Lemon Shakeups at the Fair or delivering voting machines, we are always ready to serve our Darke County community in any way we can.”
Bugher, chair of the Scholarship Committee, presented $1,000 scholarships to local high school seniors. Members of the committee were Christena Sharp, Kyle Lehman, and Justin Sommer. The 2020-2021 Scholarship recipients were: Audrey Allen (Versailles High School), daughter of Jason and Angela Allen, of Versailles; Cayla Batten (Versailles High School), daughter of Chris and Suzanne Batten; Dalton Drees (Ansonia High School), son of Ron and Angie Drees; Chloe Freeman (Greenville High School), daughter of Josh Freeman; Hannah Hartzell (Ansonia High School), daughter of Todd and Jane Hartzell; Lauren Menke (Versailles High School), daughter of Bethany and the late Bob Menke; James Normile (Greenville High School), son of Richard and Jeanie Normile; and Benjamin Philiposian (Mississinawa Valley High School), son of Nick and Charlene Philiposian.
Lauren Henry, chair of the of the Non-Profit Grant committee, presented $1,000 grants to local Darke County non-profit organizations. Members of the committee were Kyle Lehman, Darren Leis, Alex Warner, Lucie Pohl and Travis Flieman. The 2020-2021 Non-profit Grant Recipients were: Annie Oakley Golf Tournament, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke Counties, Boys & Girls Club of Greenville, Brethren Retirement Community, Cancer Association of Darke County, CORS-ACES Tutoring Program, CORS-Gateway Youth Programs, Darke County Center for the Arts, Darke Co. College Access Program (DBA Bridges to College), Darke County Senior Outreach , Darke County United Way, Empowering Darke County Youth, EUM Church, Friends of Bear’s Mill, Gathering at the Garst/Darke Co. Historical Society, Grace Resurrection Association for Christian Endeavors, Inc., Greenville Community Unity, Greenville High School-Social Studies Dept., Meals on Wheels, Ohio Wave Fast Pitch Academy, Radiant H.O.P.E., Safe Haven, and Wayne Health Care Foundation.
The Greenville Rotary Club, founded in April, 1921, has long been committed to serving the community by meeting and providing assistance throughout Darke County, and encouraging its mission within the business community. Starting on July 6, 2021, the Greenville Rotary Club will meet every Tuesday from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Chestnut Village (Brethren Retirement Community), located at 750 Chestnut Street in Greenville.
Incoming Greenville Rotary President (2021-2022) and Membership Chair, Melissa Riethman invites everyone to come stop and attend a meeting. “It is a great opportunity to give back to the community and it’s a fun way to network and get out to know people!”
One great way to support the Greenville Rotary this summer is to stop by their famous “Lemon Shakeup” trailer at the Great Darke County Fair (Aug. 20 to 28, 2021) or at Youth For Christ (YFC) on Sunday, August 1st.
“Come thirsty!” said Bugher, adding, “We would love to make the number of grants and scholarships higher next year!”
Questions? Check out their Facebook page (“The Greenville Rotary Club”) or contact the Greenville Rotary at [email protected].
