All proceeds from the fundraiser went directly to support our local food pantries - East Bay Food Pantry and Thrift Shop and Friends of St Elizabeth Food Pantry. These food pantries have served individuals and families in need in our community, offering groceries at no cost to community members who require assistance. As Rotary provided funds during Covid, the need continued, as many school lunch programs continue to be affected by budget cuts and more needs arose.

Seeing the continuing and growing need of these outstanding Food Banks, Bristol Rotary created a Sweepstakes, that with the purchase of a $25 ticket, the winner would get a dinner for two anywhere in the world, including flight tickets and lodging at the hotel of their choice. The total value of the prize would be $10,000. Over 1,000 people participated, and on November 17, the winner was selected from a drum containing the names of all the participants.

The winner was Linda Medeiros from Portsmouth, RI who is currently planning her trip which we will share with you when a decision is made. However, the sweepstakes raised $19,500, to which Bristol Rotary donated another $10,000 for a total of $29,500. As seen in the picture below, $14,750 each was presented by Mary Jo Tavares, President of Bristol Rotary (center), to Amy Castro, President of the Friends of St. Elizabeth Food Pantry (left) and Emily Mushen, Executive Director of the East Bay Food Pantry and Thrift Shop (right).

All parties were thrilled with the results and thanks goes to all members of the community and of Bristol Rotary who made this possible.

Ian McLellan owns Hill House Graphics, in Bristol, RI.  After running a commercial printing company for a decade, Ian started and has been running Hill House Graphics to Help Small Businesses and Organizations make a Big Impression with design and production of Commercial Signs, Vehicle Wraps and Graphics for more than 15 years.  Ian is supported in all things by his partner, Tina and they have raised two adult children who are currently both in college full time. One at URI majoring in Pharmacy, and one at Rhode Island College with a double major in Business and History.   This past January, Tina a career nurse, donated a kidney to Ian and truly gave him the gift of life after he suffered from kidney failure in 2017 and had been on hemodialysis from then until the successful transplant surgery.  With this new lease on life Ian knows that future possibilities are boundless. Ian believes that you get out of life in direct proportion to what you give. He brings that philosophy with him to Bristol Rotary. Welcome aboard Ian!

 

After a year when Bristol Rotary broke new records in donations to local charities and in increasing our membership by 25%, Paul LaFleur steps down and Mary Jo Tavares steps in as the new President for Fiscal Year 2024/2025. Paul volunteered to be President for the past 2 fiscal years, as we were coming out of the difficult Covid slump, and lead the successful return of Bristol Rotary.

 

In the collage below, at the top, Mary Jo has been inducted as President by Betty Galligan the Assistant District Governor of District# 7950.  In the middle picture, the new Board for fiscal Year 2024/2025 is sworn in.  Left to right is: Mary Almeida, Cesar DaPonte, Maria Cesario, Cid Rodrigues, Marty Roussel, Sandra Andrade, Mary Jo Tavares (new President), Bruce Cox (future President), Paul LaFleur (past President), and Ken Watkinson.

 

In the pictures at the bottom, two members receive the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award which is awarded in Rotary to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Club. They were awarded by Paul LaFleur to Maria Cesario on the lower left and Marty Roussel on the lower right. Maria for excellent financial management of the funds in the Charities Foundation, and Marty for his consistent outstanding leadership and contributions to Bristol Rotary over the past 41 years.

Every year Bristol Rotary makes several donations to local and other charities from the funds it raises for that purpose throughout the year - from fundraisers and donors. In the picture below, Joanne Quinn, Executive Director of The Autism Project (TAP), sends a thank you for Bristol Rotary’s donation, which for the second year in a row, was the largest donation received for TAP’s annual “Imagine Walk.”  In addition, donations went out this week to Women’s Resource Center, Rogers Free Library, Community String Project, Linden Place, East Bay Food Pantry, St Elizabeth’s Food Pantry, The Tomorrow Fund, Christian Community Bible Church (supporting a Haitian Orphanage), Bristol Country Chorus (supporting the Joan Roth Scholarship Fund), RI Veterans Home, EB Community Dev. Corp (to go towards their eventual purchase of a van for seniors living in the Franklin Court facilities). Several others will be added in May.

 

Also, every year Bristol Rotary provides financial grants to high school students, who apply for funds to help them move to the next educational level that fits their goals. Lastly, the Club sends funds to the Rotary Foundation for the organization’s international projects: this year, Polio Plus and Disaster Response. By fiscal year end, June 30^th, Bristol Rotary will have donated over $100,000.  Almost half that sum was given out as individual donations during the year, as timing factors affected the need. “Thank you to local friends, supporters, and donors who, ‘help us help others.’”

 

Last Thursday, Bristol Rotary ran its annual Bingo fundraiser to provide educational grants to support both college bound Bristol students graduating from Mt Hope High School and other private schools, as well as to Bristol students who will be attending Trade or Vocational schools.   The fundraiser, at St. Elizabeth Parish Hall, was a success and well attended by almost 200 people. There was food, drinks and fun games other than Bingo.  Through the entusiasm of the participants, and with some donations from other sources, the Bingo evening raised over $17,000 for Bristol Students.

Bristol Schools are encouraged to help their students apply for these grants.  To do so,  please  send a note with name, address and cell # to “Bristol Rotary Educational Grant Committee, P.O. Box 469, Bristol RI 02809.”  You will be then sent a form requesting more information on the nature of the Grant request.

Donations are also gratefully accepted.  “Help Us Help Others”

 

 

To purchase or reserve tickets contact the members listed below