Washington Rotary marks 100 years
From rehabilitating the Main Pavilion at Washington Park, to providing dictionaries to area students, to raising thousands of dollars to help eradicate polio, members of Washington Rotary Club are fulfilling their mission to serve neighbors here and around the world a century after their founding.
To mark the anniversary, the service organization held a 100th Birthday Celebration and President’s Night June 12 in the Doubletree by Hilton Meadow Lands, during which new leaders were inducted, with President Richard Podgurski passing the gavel to President-Elect William Price.

In this 2016 photo, the Rotary Club of Washington visited Trinity East Elementary School to distribute dictionaries to third-graders. The club distributes about 800 dictionaries each year as part of the organization’s global initiative to increase literacy.
The club also recently held a luncheon where they presented the Rotary Academic Achievement Scholarship to Emily Adams of Avella, Victoria Carnes of Burgettstown, Alexander Nemec of Fort Cherry, Emily Durila of McGuffey and Maci Ward of Washington. The Dr. Douglas A. Masciola Scholarship was awarded to Zachary Dinch of Trinity and the Clyde J. Tracanna/Washington Rotary Club Scholarships were given to Chelsea Geer of Trinity, Matthew Marasco of Washington and Erich Durbin of McGuffey.
In addition to providing scholarships, Washington Rotary supports students by hosting an annual all-star high school basketball game and distributing dictionaries to third-graders in seven area schools.
“It’s a really neat organization,” said Thomas Drewitz, who has been a member for more than 30 years.
Drewiz recalled a Rotary meeting in the 1970s when a speaker from Ghana talked about the meager resources available to schools in his nation. Rotarian Andy Uram wanted to do something, so he approached publishers to donate books. In partnership with Brother’s Brothers Foundation, the group was able to send thousands of textbooks to Ghana.

Observer-Reporter
Observer-Reporter
Cristiane Lebelem, a Brazilian journalist and team member of the Brazil Rotary Group Study Exchange, speaks with Observer-Reporter staff writer Brad Hundt during the Rotary Club exchange group’s visit to Washington in 2013.
About 10 years later, the Ghanaian ambassador to the United States visited, tearing up when he told members what a difference their donation had made.
The club sent thousands of books to Russia, Lithuania and Poland in partnership with Rotarian and former Observer-Reporter editor Park Burroughs’ Books for the World organization.
Over the years, Washington Rotarians have hosted international students in exchange programs and hosted group study exchanges, in which men and women from other countries would stay for several weeks to observe their profession being practiced in the United States.
Washington Rotarians have traveled overseas in reciprocal programs.

Rotary Club of Washington honored the top academic performers of several Washington County high schools, including Avella, Burgettstown, Fort Cherry, McGuffey, Washington, and Trinity, and Washington & Jefferson College. Each students received a $1,000 scholarship.
The group raises money for China Little Flower, an orphanage in Northern China that cares for abandoned and ill children. Before moving to the area, member John Tecklenburg and his family lived in China and volunteered there.
Here at home, in addition to revitalizing Washington Park’s Main Pavilion, Rotary Club donated $12,000 to Citizens Library for a new reference desk, and erected Patriot’s Pavilion to honor Washington’s service members. Rotarians volunteer at almost every civic event, including the PONY World Series, Main Street Farmers Market, Whiskey Rebellion and Washington’s Got Talent.
Washington Rotary Club meets at noon on Tuesdays in the Commons at Washington & Jefferson College, 60 S. Lincoln St., Washington. For more information, visit rotarywashpa.org.

Observer-Reporter
Observer-Reporter
The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team folds the flag during the Changing of the Flag Ceremony on South Main Street in Washington in this 2013 photo. Washington Rotary Club sponsored the event.