To the Editor:

The members of the Rotary Club of Bethel have been keeping busy on many “fronts” in our communities. We are excited to announce the dates for the highly anticipated Annual Rotary Yard Sale, which will be from August 2-7 on the grass lot next to the Gem Theater.

Again this year, the Rotary will organize; the Mahoosuc Art & Agriculture Tour on Sunday, Sept. 11, and the Rotary 5K & 1-mile race will be held on Sunday, September 18 on the property of the Mahoosuc Land Trust (as well as the Bethel Recreational Path.) The 5K is event is sponsored once again by the Bethel Family Health Center. All these events raise funds that we give right back to our communities!

For the past few months, our focus has largely been on supporting the youth of our area through many educational programs including scholarships. The Student of the Month program, a partnership between the Rotary and Telstar HS, has been ongoing throughout this past school year. The Bethel Rotary Club also We have provided funding for the new ice-skating rink in partnership with the Bethel Recreation Committee and other donors.

The Rotary Club provided; funding for elementary school supplies; a scholarship for a local student to attend Camp Susan Curtis this summer; funding for Telstar HS’s Project Graduation; and support for the after-school program at the Mt. Abram Ski Area. We also will be awarding 5 scholarships to graduating high school seniors to assist them with their post-secondary studies.

A non-traditional scholarship was recently given to Telstar student, EB Hoff, who attended a summer program at Brown University on experimental pathology. EB recently attended a Rotary meeting to share her experience, and all our members were inspired by her presentation!

This Spring, the Rotary Club received an anonymous donation in order to provide approximately 72 globes (one for each student in SAD 44’s grades 3, 4 & 5). Rotarian, and club secretary Steve Smith facilitated the presentation to the students at Crescent Park and Woodstock Elementary Schools.

In keeping with Rotary’s commitment to the environment and environmental education, the Bethel Rotary has also provided support for the Mahoosuc Land Trust’s Monarch Festival, planned for August 14; for Buck’s Ledge Campaign in cooperation with the Woodstock Conservation Commission and Telstar Middle School’s Bench Project for the Buck’s Ledge trails. Rotary also provided support for an exhibit at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society.

Rotarian Scott Hynek recently organized a wood cutting and splitting party, and the wood was transported to families in need. Scott is also organizing furniture moving events, where donors can contact Rotary at us at info@bethelrotary.org to ask our crew to pick up items that they wish to donate to our annual yard sale.

There are items that Scott is not willing to take from donors: sleep sofas, old exercise equipment, furniture in need of repair, and old appliances. We also do not take books (please donate to the Bethel Library) or clothing. The Northstar Program will be doing a used clothing sale the last weekend of the yard sale (August 6-7) at the same site. Clothing donations can be brought to the site on Friday the 5.

The club has been meeting in person at the beautiful Grace Note Inn, the property of Rotarian Brenda Blond. For a few weeks when the Covid cases were rising in our area, we met via zoom. To inquire about Rotary membership or attending meetings, please contact us at info@bethelrotary.org.

Robin Zinchuk

Club PR Chair

Bethel

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