Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary Club honors corporate and foundation sponsors
The Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary Club honored 15 corporate and foundation sponsors Aug. 24 whose combined financial support propelled the club to its most successful fundraising effort ever. Held over the long Memorial Day weekend, the 2015 Flags For Heroes event raised over $34,000, with more than $18,000 coming from corporate and foundation sponsors.
When asked why his company sponsored FFH, Eddie Ghabour of Key Advisors Group said, “This one contribution gives our firm the opportunity to support local charities, honor our personal heroes and celebrate America and the American flag - all at the same time. It’s a great program.”
President Tamara Morgan convened meeting at Irish Eyes by welcoming the corporate and foundation sponsors as well as a representative from the United Services Organization in Dover. Following dinner she presented the USO, one of the beneficiaries from last year’s FFH fundraising effort, with a check for $6,500 to support their work on behalf of U.S. military members.
To kick off the award presentations, three Rotarians and a young school girl were presented with Spirit of Rotary awards for their extraordinary service to FFH. Richard Jundt, the father of the club’s FFH program, was recognized for his tireless work in chairing the event the last three years.
Long time Rotary members Walt Bryan and Ralph Umsted were honored for their “service above self” attitude in making this year’s event a huge success. The final Spirit award was presented to Brianna Porter, who has served as the cover girl for many of the FFH promotional materials.
Then each corporate and foundation sponsor was presented an individual award by Morgan. Iconic local community and business leader Joe Hudson of Hudson-Thompson Real Estate Development was honored as the title sponsor of the FFH event. Other honorees from the construction and development community included Schell Brothers, Hudson Management and Sam Yoder & Son.
Legal and financial services were also well represented among the honorees, including local attorney and past Rotary club President Larry Fifer; Eddie Ghabour, Key Advisors Group; Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley; Wade Thompson, Edward Jones; Gary Melnick, Melnick Rosenbaum; and Rob Price, Price Financial Group.
Other awardees included Creative Concepts home furnishings and design, Lewes eateries Kindle, Half Full and Striper Bites, Rudy Marine on Route 24 at Love Creek and Cadbury Senior Lifestyles. The lone foundation sponsor was the Pennsylvania Merchant 1733, a fund established under the Greater Lewes Foundation, a 501c3 public charity.
This year marks the third anniversary of Rotary’s Flags For Heroes community event in Lewes. The first two years 300 flags were sponsored by individual donors. In 2015 it was expanded to 420 flags with the addition of corporate and foundation sponsors. In its first three years the FFH program has raised over $60,000 for local charities. All of the net proceeds are distributed among greater Lewes area charities.
The Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary Club was founded in 1929. For 86 years the Club has been quietly and significantly making our community a better and safer place to live, work, go to school and raise a family. Over the years, through FFH and other charitable programs and events, the club has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charitable organizations.
