Jan 7, 2011 By Dave Zuchowski, For The Greene County Messenger 4 min read

Providing services in Greene

Part nine of a series (EDITOR’S NOTE: In this series, the Messenger looks at various non-profit organizations and agencies that provide a wide array of services to area residents. Through these articles, readers will hopefully gain a better understanding of what these agencies and organizations do for the county. This week, we take a look at the Rotary Club of Waynesburg.)

WAYNESBURG – Just coming off their premier funding event of the year, the Rotary Club of Waynesburg hopes the money it recently raised will enable them to impact the community in a positive way the rest of next year.

“We grossed about $20,000 at our Winter Wonderland Gala, held each December at the county courthouse,” said Joy Eggleston, club president and senior public relations officer for the Southwest Regional Medical Center in Waynesburg. “About 200 individuals showed up to enjoy good food, desserts, including our chocolate fountain, local singers and courtrooms decorated for the holidays.”

Between the admissions tickets and money raised through raffles and silent auctions, the Rotary Club of Waynesburg now has a pool of money to help finance its array of community service projects.

“We recently completed our Rotary blood screening project at the Southwest Regional Medical Center, which allows people to be proactive about their health and discover possible health issues they might not otherwise have noticed,” said Eggleston, a Rotarian for the past six years and a resident of Jefferson.

For $35, each individual who took advantage of the project was given a multiphasic blood screening, an “early warning” health test that indicates if one might have current or potential health problems. The test aides in the detection of many medical problems including: coronary heart disease, anemia, diabetes, liver disease, and kidney disease.

For an additional fee, those who participated in the screenings were given the option of adding on other screenings such as Prostate-Specific Antigen and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone tests.

“This year, we tested over 200 people in two separate screenings,” said Eggleston.

Each fall, the Waynesburg Rotary also organizes a Dictionary Project, which gives every third grader in the Greene County elementary schools a complimentary dictionary. This year, the Rotary distributed about 300 dictionaries to third graders across the county.

Locally, the Rotary Club of Waynesburg also participates in drives for area food banks, rings bells at collection sites for the Salvation Army and contributes to local charities.

“At each meeting, we pass around a collection jar we jokingly refer to as our ‘appreciation vase’ and ask each member to put in a dollar,” said Eggleston. “Every second month we then donate the money to a different charity. For November and December’s collections, for instance, the donation goes to the Salvation Army.”

In the past, the Rotary Club also sponsored students through its international student exchange, a program that helps subsidize a visit by a local student to a foreign country or brings a foreign student to the United States to experience American culture.

In 2009-10, Gianni Calavetta, a sophomore from Saint Cyr-sur-Mer, France, stayed with county commissioner and past Rotary president Archie Trader and his wife, Jeanette. For eight months in 2007and 2008, the Rotary helped subsidize a trip to Lampang, Thailand, by Jessica Plachata.

Founded in 1905 by Paul Percy Harris, a Chicago lawyer, Rotary International is the world’s first service club organization with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation and provide education and job training under the motto “Service Above Self.”

Besides fighting to eradicate polio worldwide, the Rotary Foundation is also committed to providing all people with safe drinking water, reducing child mortality rates, promoting peace and conflict resolution and supporting literacy efforts.

To finance its goals, the Rotary Foundation is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world.

The Rotary Club of Waynesburg was founded on June 3, 1937. With 30 current members, the club meets each Monday at noon for lunch at Hot Rods, located at 685 Washington Street in Waynesburg. Along with lunch, members get to hear a featured speaker and discuss club business in general as well as service activities and upcoming events.

New members are sponsored by an existing member and have to be voted into the club by the board of directors through bylaws consistent with Rotary clubs around the world. Annual dues are $192, which includes local, district and international dues.

“Rotary is an organization of professionals that’s about networking and being a part of the community, the region and ultimately the world,” said Eggleston. “It’s amazing to be part of an organization that not only impacts the local community but also has a positive influence around the world.”

For more information about the Rotary Club of Waynesburg, call 724-627-2656.