Media Contact: Leon Berthiaume
802-309-0693
Chartered on October 8, 1924, the Rotary Club of St. Albans, Vermont is proud to be located in a very picturesque and rural part of the US. Our Club has been a dominate force in the area meeting challenges with enthusiasm, creativity, fun and energy. Our Rotary roots run deep with Paul Harris forging his connection with Vermont at age of three. He grew up in the care of his paternal grandparents in Wallingford, VT. He attended the University of Vermont before further pursuing his education at Princeton and the University of Iowa.
One of our founding members was Greg Smith, a grandson of Vermont Governor John Smith. The Smith family gifted in 1887 to their community the Fountain, knows as the Ladies, in St. Albans Taylor Park. It has become a centerpiece of our community. Over 127 years the fountain fell into disrepair and the city had to decide whether the Fountain was to be saved or scrapped. In 2014, The Rotary Club took on the challenge to save the fountain and spearhead the campaign to save the fountain. “If not us then who” was the Club’s argument, acknowledging their unique relationship with the community and fountain.
Over our 100 years of service the club has focused on supporting our close-knit community. Over the last 30 years we have held the Rotary Home and Recreation Expo our main fund-raising effort. This event literary brings thousands of people together while generating funds to invest in and support members of the community.
Funds raised in the early years have supported Club Scouts, American Field Service, Rotary Scholarship Foundation, St. Albans Citizen Scholarship Foundation, Swimming Projects, Ski Bus, and UN Model Assembly. We invested in restoring the Fountain, purchasing land to expand local Hard’ack Recreation area that now hosts a ski slope, year-round pool, disc golf, playgrounds, sport fields, biking, and cross-country ski trails. We have invested in developing a walking path around the Collins-Perley athletic center serving our High School and Community. We have provided support to create walking and biking trails in the St. Albans Town Forest and playground projects.
The Club is committed to assisting those in need of shelter, food, and clothing. We have funded a new roof for the Samaritan House/Tim’s House. We help feed the hungry at Martha’s Kitchen (soup kitchen), and volunteer at the local food shelf and support it with food drives. Each year the Club initiates a coat drive; over the last six years six thousand coats have provided great warmth during Vermont’s long chilly winter season. We helped purchase a van to meet the special transportation needs of residents with wheelchairs. We have supported the renovation and expansion of our local hospital Northwestern Medical Center.
The Rotary Interact Club at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans has been highly active in serving the needs of the community and collaborating with the Club. They have held blood drives, food drives and created outside areas for students to study.
We support special high school educational programs such as the culinary programs at the Northwest Career and Technical Center and financial literacy programs. St. Albans is situated on Lake Champlain. The Club supports St. Albans Museum which conducts “Lake Lessons” a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) and cultural heritage education workshop for students.
In celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary, Rotary Club of St. Albans is committed to doing one hundred or more Random Acts of Kindness during the year. We will have a celebration with our Rotarian Family and one with the Community. This is a time to celebrate the impact that Rotary has had in our community over our history, and to thank so many individuals, businesses, and municipalities for their support. Our partnerships and relationships with various facets of our community has been overwhelming.
The Rotary Club welcomes you to learn more about the Club by going to our website at stalbansrotaryclub.com, or our Facebook page called: Rotary Club of St. Albans, Vermont.
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