The Washington Township Rotary has its fingerprints on a lot of aspects of town. From the dictionary program that equips all third-graders in the Washington Township Public School District with a dictionary, to the Josh the Otter water safety program for kindergartners that is hosted by the high school Interact Club to the new ADA compliant swing that will be installed at Washington Lake Park in the near future.
The group that touts the phrase “service above self” has a date set for the 19th annual golf outing that helps it raise money to keep impacting the community. The golf outing will take place on Sept. 20 at the Wedgwood Country Club. Registration and boxed lunch will run from 11 to 1 p.m., a shotgun start will happen at 1 with a buffet dinner and cash bar set for 6 p.m. and an award session to follow at 6:30 p.m..
Rotary president Tom Kozempel said spaces are still available to sign up to golf. A payment of $125 can be made online at WTRotary.org or by sending a check to PO Box 601, Turnersville, NJ 08012.
In addition to 18 holes of golf, a buffet dinner and a boxed lunch, there will be a hole-in-one contest on a par three hole where a golfer could win a car, a putting contest, a longest drive contest, closest to the pin contest as well as an award for best foursome.
“It’s a great day for a great cause,” Kozempel said of the golf outing.
Kozempel said the Rotary has netted close to $12,000 from the golf outing in past years and hopes to continue this trend in 2019.
The funds generated go back to the community in the aforementioned third-grade dictionary program and Josh the Otter water safety program, in addition to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards students leadership program, sports sponsorships, the Cradles to Crayons Backpack challenge and scholarship funding. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Paul Davidson Memorial Scholarship fund.
Paul Davidson, the son of former Rotary president Randy Davidson, was a fellow Rotarian and chiropractor in town. The scholarship in his memory is awarded annually to a Rowan student.
Kozempel said Washington Township’s Rotary is one of 33,000 Rotary Clubs across 200 countries and geographical areas. He estimates there are 1.2 million business and civic leaders involved in Rotary. Part of the money raised at the local level goes toward global initiatives put forth by Rotary, like eradicating polio.
For more information about Rotary, visit WTRotary.org or email Kozempel at TKozempel@Verizon.net. The Rotary meets every Thursday at noon at Wedgwood Country Club.
