Summer 2021
Here is where we will place stories from our various clubs. Use this link to SEND US YOUR STORIES!
GEA (Guilford Education Alliance) is hosting a 1 day supply drive blitz at area Target stores with 1 goal – stuff 4 buses with all the supplies that teachers& students will need for a great year!
Teachers often spend as much as $1000 of their own money to stock their classrooms with the most-needed supplies. Guilford Education Alliance (GEA) operates the Teacher Supply Warehouse to help offset that cost. The Warehouse offers Guilford County Schools teachers classroom supplies at NO COST. This is only possible through the generous donations of the community.
Southern Pines –
The Southern Pines Rotary Club recently met to award scholarships to recent graduates of Pinecrest High School. In previous years the club was able to award two $2500 scholarships. This year, through a generous donation from The Forest at Duke, four scholarships were awarded.
Abby Marcus was awarded a 2021 Southern Pines Rotary Club Charitable Foundation Scholarship. Ms. Marcus will be attending UNC-Asheville in the fall. Abbey has been involved with music, speech and debate. She worked as a Teacher’s Assistant teaching dance to young children. She has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and The Nature Conservancy in addition to involvement with candidates for office as part of her activities outside of the classroom.
Elizabeth Snotherly was awarded a 2021 Southern Pines Rotary Club Charitable Foundation Scholarship. Ms. Snotherly intends to study at Western Carolina University. Elizabeth participated in Lacrosse and Robotics while at Pinecrest, and also helped found the Young Conservatives Club. A member of the National Honor Society, she placed third in the Rotary District 7690 Speech Contest in 2018. Elizabeth is involved with the Welcoming Committee at Grace Church, and is currently employed at Dick’s Sporting goods.
Mia Menchion was awarded a 2021 Southern Pines Rotary Club Charitable Foundation Scholarship. Ms. Menchion will continue her academic pursuits at UNC-Charlotte. Mia has been heavily involved with the SAVE/SADD organization at Pinecrest, and is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution. A member of the Chamber Ensemble, Mia has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club and Tambra Place. She is proficient in the Japanese language, and aspires to utilize these skills as she develops her ultimate career path.
Jillian Richmond received the 2021 Rotary Club of Southern Pines C. Michael Haney Memorial Scholarship. Ms. Richmond intends to study at UNC-Chapel Hill. Graduating eight in her class, Jillian coaches youth soccer at the 305 Soccer Academy. She is a member of Key Club, Interact Club, National Honor Society, Girl Scouts, and the Student Government Association. Jillian served as a volunteer with the Salvation Army and the North Moore Resource Center.
The Southern Pines Rotary Club and Charitable Foundation consist of members representing many backgrounds and professions across the Sandhills. They are guided by core values of Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity, and Leadership toward the ideals of truth, fairness, goodwill, and the benefit of all. These annual scholarship awards are made via a competitive application process that includes both written elements and interviews of all candidates by a scholarship committee. Anyone interested in further information regarding the Club, including potential membership, is invited to visit our website at www.southernpinesrotary.org
Area 10 Family of Rotary Kayaking Event
Over thirty Area 10 Rotarians and guests enjoyed a three hour kayaking trip on the Deep River on Thursday, June 17th. Members from Jonesboro, Sanford and Pittsboro Rotary clubs attended. it was a perfect way to celebrate the ending of DG Tommy Rosser’s year. The weather was perfect and we had a keg of Camelback Brewery beer on a kayak for refreshment! The Deep River borders Lee and Chatham Counties and is perfect for a safe, slow and relaxing kayak trip.
Gate City Rotary
Many years of planning, saving, and hard work have finally paid off for a Page High School student, thanks to the members of Gate City Rotary.
Trinity Smith, a senior at Walter Page High School, received $40,000 to cover four years of college at any school of her choice. As of this release, Trinity has committed to UNC-Chapel Hill.
On Tuesday, April 13, the selection committee held a dinner in Trinity’s honor with her parents present to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Each year, Gate City Rotary holds an annual fundraiser to support local, regional, and international projects. More than a decade ago, former member Alex Neely made a substantial donation to be used towards a scholarship fund. Gate City’s members set a vision to put aside additional money each year, gradually investing it into the newly established fund. Once the fund reached an amount that could sustain an annual renewable scholarship, it was time to find a worthy student.
The club elected to select a student that would be awarded $10,000 per year for up to four years of undergraduate study. The student is required to join and participate in Rotaract and is also mentored by the club.
A selection committee chose four area High Schools from which students applied – Page High School, Dudley High School, Smith High School, and Grimsley High School. Judy Brumley, Gate City Rotary’s Youth Services Chair, met with each schools’ principal in late 2019 to discuss eligibility requirements for the scholarship.
The principals went to work with school counselors and reached out to qualifying students. Through these efforts, Gate City Rotary received 19 total applications, from which they invited five to participate in an in-person interview based on their eligibility and qualifications.
According to Mike Conrad, “We had a tough choice to make as all 19 applicants had their own unique story and achievements.” Ultimately, the selection committee unanimously chose to award Trinity Smith the four-year scholarship.