• Winner: WINNER
  • Date: 1/30/2016
  • Rotary Year: 2015-2016
  • Award Category: Club Service
  • Club NameSalem
  • Member First NameTommy
  • Address: 
    1469 Edgebrook Road
    Salem, VA 24153
    United States View on Map
  • Email: tommyb@hopetreefs.org
  • Brief Description: 
    It is Salem Rotary’s goal to optimize member satisfaction, empowerment, and sense of purpose. Outlined below are the ways we accomplished this goal.
    • Club organization for involvement, talent, and fun
    • All members assigned to 2-5 of our 44 committees
    • Meetings involve members assigned to:
    o Greeting and attendance
    o Audio-visual
    o Invocation
    o Birthday recognition
    o Song leading
    o 50/50 Drawings
    o Guest introductions
    o Announcements
    o Program introductions
    o Leading 4 Way Test
    • Family social events
    • Red Badge program educates new members.
    • Raised $75,800 in 2015.
    o Olde Salem Days, a premier arts and crafts festival and antique car
    o Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments
    o Star-BQ, a concert featuring a nationally popular country music artist/band
    • Financial Vision and Giving Committees awarded grants as follows:
    o $24,000 to 17 Community Projects
    o $24,000 to 15 Charitable Projects
    o $12,000 to 5 International
    • Club Giving Projects for RI and Rotary Foundation
    o Polio “We Are This Close” Campaign. Club donated $55,000 and challenged District clubs to give $240,000 by June 30, 2015. Hosted District-wide “Polio Celebration” with John Germ as the keynote speaker.
    o “Touchdowns to End Polio”. Club pledged $100 for each of 83 touchdowns scored by the Salem team this season. A check for $8,300 was displayed at the football.
    o 77% are “sustaining” givers
    o 73% are Paul Harris Fellows
    • New Generation
    o 4 Students attended RYLA and 2 in the speech contest
    o Interact Club at Salem HS has sent 2 students to the World Affairs Seminar
    o Rejuvenated Roanoke College’s Rotaract Club
    • Children, Youth, and Family
    o Christmas for Kids – gave clothing, toys, and hygiene gifts to 40 Salem underprivileged children. Took them shopping to purchase gifts for their families.
    o Coat and Food
    o Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners delivered
    o Salem Christmas Parade float
    o “Read Across America” at Mason’s Cove Elementary School
    o Donated dictionaries to all Salem third grade students
    o Initiated Little Free Library project to build 15 libraries throughout Salem, stocked with children’s books
    • Community
    o Clean Valley Days
    o Greenway Clean Up
    o Disaster Relief – clean water and “muck cleanup” kits
    o Local Community Water Projects – designated $4,500 to Salem’s “Main Street Rejuvenation Project”
    • Special Recognition
    o Josten’s Trophy Award to outstanding male and female student basketball players at Division III level
    o Vocational Award to a Salem non-Rotarian
    o Outstanding Citizen Award
  • Participation of Club Members: 
    • Club organization and meetings
    o Committee assignments - 100%
    o Club meetings – 100%
    o Socials and family outings – 100%
    o Red Badge Program – 40%
    • Fund-raising and Funding of Salem Rotary Service Projects
    o Olde Salem Days – 95%
    o Star-BQ – 42%
    o Old Dominion Athletic Conference Basketball Tournaments – 100%
    • Giving Grants to charities, local service organizations and international service projects – 62%
    • Club Giving Projects for RI and Foundation
    o “We Are This Close” Polio Campaign – 100%
    o Touchdown’s to End Polio – 87%
    o Sustainer Giving – 77%
    o Paul Harris Fellows – 73%
    • Club Community Service and Recognition Projects
    o New Generations Projects – 27%
    o Children, Youth, and Family Service Projects – 100%
    o Community Service & Relief Projects – 65%
    o Club Special Recognition Projects – 35%
  • Resulting Benefits: 
    Through our Club’s fundraising projects, we have donated $75,800 this year to a wide variety of charitable and community enhancement programs and projects in the City of Salem, the Roanoke Valley, and the world. A majority of the funds ($48,000) benefited local communities, another $12,000 was given to international projects, and $8,300 went to RI’s “Polio Plus Fund.”
    All of Salem Rotary’s fundraising efforts have included participation in and money sharing with other Area 8 Rotary Clubs, Interact, Rotaract, Boy and Girl Scout troops, and youth sports teams.
    In all of our fundraisers we partnered with Salem’s government and municipal facilities to make them premier community venues. Olde Salem Days provides 400 exhibitors with a well-attended venue for their products and entertainment for the visitors. The ODAC Tournaments benefit the teams, their fans, and all who attend. Both result in commercial benefits to area restaurants and hotels.
    While our communities have benefited from the Club’s many activities, the biggest benefits were those realized by our members. Through our programs, projects, service, leadership development opportunities, and family events, our members reported an increased level of satisfaction. They felt good about “being a “Gift to the World”, skills honed, friendships made, and knowledge gained. They were thrilled to give back to the community in a way not possible as individuals. These feelings will only increase their desire to do more and to involve their friends and family in the work of The Rotary Club of Salem.