Thanks for all who joined us for our final meeting of the Rotary 2022-2023 fiscal year under Club President Todd Stone. Our next meeting will be Monday, July 10, we're off on July 3 in observance of Independence Day.
A busy agenda for today, beginning with the awarding of three Paul Harris Fellow awards for individuals' contributions to the Rotary Foundation. As pictured L-R:
- Dave Dygert, Paul Harris Fellow+2
- Sherm Hansen, Paul Harris Fellow+5
- Robert Peterson, who passed in May, posthumously awarded his Paul Harris Fellow pin, held by President Todd Stone, and
- Howard Edwards, our Club's Foundation Chair.
Today, we also welcomed three not for profit representatives to receive their Spring 2023 Grant awards:
- Whitney Miller, Area Director for the Boys and Girls Club of Elkhart County
- Jamison Czarnecki, Elkhart Parks and Recreation Superintendent (and fellow Rotarian)
- Peter Norton, Executive Director of Cancer Resources for Elkhart County.
Thanks to everyone who gives generously of their weekly fines, which support the Donation Committee's awarding of 14 local not for profits with nearly $13,000 in funding this year. And thanks to the weekly Sergeants and their Captain, Anthony Hunt, for coordinating the schedule.
Our presenter today was Eric Garton, the Robert and Peggy Weed Executive Director at Wellfield Botanic Gardens who provided an update on the Events and Visitors Center Expansion Project. The Project realizes four key master plan features—a new 12,000 sq.ft. Visitors Center with event capacity, an Open Air Pavilion, relocation and repurposing of the existing Visitors Cottage, and increased parking capacity. As outlined, these features will provide not only a transformational guest experience with necessary infrastructure and amenities, financial sustainability for the future, and increased mission-effectiveness, but also deliver increased quality of place and promote economic development of our area. Since its founding by the Elkhart Rotary Club in 2005, over 20 beautiful garden spaces and numerous special features have been installed at Wellfield. These major capital projects have been made possible by the vision and generosity of community leaders in the Elkhart, Indiana area. Wellfield is poised for its next transformational stage of development to meet an increasing need as we grow. Here are some images from the presentation.
