Featured photo:
David Guster, Jason Briggs, Madelyn Porter
MURAL PLAY – THE QUESTIONS by Leah Maddrie
Inspired by the mural by Kevin Burdick aka Scraps
FLINT MURAL PLAYS, Flint Repertory Theatre
Written by Tanya Terry
Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club has existed for three decades and has given $70,000 to Genesee County graduates to help them with college tuition and about $340,000 in community grants! But, they don’t plan to stop in their aim to impact the community and its residents in these ways any time soon. In fact, they are hoping to help even more of those in need in 2022.
One of the articles of the Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club is for club members to improve the community in which they reside, according to Allen Tucker, co-chair of the Foundation Committee of the Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club. Since the needs of the youth resonate with the membership in particular, the club has decided to focus on that, having limited funds and not being as large as some other area foundations.
Last year seven projects or programs were awarded community grants out of 23 applicants. Some of the projects funded included Tapology Inc.’s Flint S.T.O.N.E. Movers, St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center’s Summer Fun Fest and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan for their Meet Up and Eat Up Mobile Truck picnic equipment. The organizations awarded help provide through their programs everything from safe, socially distant space for summer meals, to fun activities for low income children, to healing for child abuse survivors.
“It’s really just a way that we targeted, particularly, communities at risk,” Tucker explained.
This year, more than $13,000 will be awarded through the grant program. Applicants will be asked to describe how the children served through their programs are at risk. Applicants will also be asked to describe in person and volunteer service opportunities club members can support within the proposed projects. According to Tucker, in part because of COVID, the opportunity for club members to participate in this way has not been able to be coordinated. However, the club is looking forward to being involved in this way in the future, in addition to giving money to worthy organizations. In fact, Tucker said when the club decides what grants to give, offering the opportunity for club members to participate in this way will be one of the criteria.
The Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club’s principal means of raising money for charitable activities is through its Golf Scramble. The event typically raises about $17,000 per year. However, due to COVID, it has not been held the last two years. Because the club is hoping to resume with this outing July 22, 2022, they are hoping to be able double the number of projects funded this year compared to 2021.
The Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club also offers scholarships valued at up to $1,000 each to graduating seniors. Students must have at least a 2.5 grade point average and must be involved in community service.
Tucker said community service is very important because students who have much higher grade point average often have many other scholarship opportunities.
“There are many students we feel don’t excel in academics, but will excel in life,” Tucker said. “How we see that is they are involved in their community. We as a service organization want to foster the next generation.”
This year, the club is seeking out students who will be the first in their families to pursue higher education. In doing so, the club is hoping to inspire future generations within the family to also pursue college or trade school.
The scholarships are memorial scholarships and are also very important to the club.
Visit the home page at www.flintsunrise.org for the community grant and scholarship applications.
