Madison Rotary Club Awards $43K Worth of Grants

The Rotary Club of Madison awarded local charities and non-profits at its annual  Charitable Distribution Luncheon a total of $43,000 in grants.

The luncheon was held May 8 at Rod’s Steakhouse and Seafood Grill in Convent Station. The Rotary Club awarded grants to 53 organizations in six different categories, all exemplifying Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.”

Here is a list of the grants:

IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY: Madison Christmas Committee, Madison Community Pool; Madison Eagle Christmas Fund; Madison Fire Department; Madison May Day; St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center; Friends of Sustainable Madison; Thursday Morning Club/Madison Community House.

SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND YOUTH GROUPS:  The Adult School of the Chathams, Madison, & Florham Park; American Legion Post #43; Friends of the Madison Public Library; Girl Scouts of Northern NJ; Literacy Volunteers of Morris County; Madison Athletic Foundation; Madison Education Foundation; Madison High School Graduation Gala; Madison June School Athletic Organization; Madison Little League; Madison Music Association; Mad Science (MHS Robotics); Madison Take Down Club; NORWESCAP; Patriots Path Council, Boy Scouts of America; Team Eagle Foundation.

SPONSORING THE ARTS:  Baroque Orchestra of NJ; Bickford Theater; Chatham Community Players; Friends of Geraldine; Harmonium Choral Society; Madison Arts & Culture Alliance; Museum of Early Trades & Crafts; Opera at Florham; Playwrights Theatre of NJ; The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ.

HELPING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:  Cheshire Home; Easter Seals NJ/Camp Merry Heart; ECLC of NJ.

FUNDING COMMUNITY SERVICES:  American Red Cross, Colonial Crossroads Chapter; Bridges Outreach; Chabad of Southeast Morris County; Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center; CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Sussex Counties); Deidre O’Brien Child Advocacy Center; Dress For Success; Family Promise of Morris County; Grace Counseling Center; Interfaith Food Pantry; Madison Area YMCA; Morris Habitat for Humanity; Project Community Pride; Senior Services Center of the Chathams; Visiting Nurse Association of Northern NJ; Women’s Center at County College of Morris.

In addition, five scholarships of $1000 each will be awarded to Madison High School Seniors, based on their community service.

The distributed financial grants were acquired by the Madison Rotary Club through their numerous fund raisers throughout the year, such as Bottle Hill Day, the annual 50/50 drawing, shredding events, and the Taste of Madison.  Charitable Distribution Chairman, Joseph Smith, refers to the distribution day, “the happiest day of the Rotary year.”