On March 29, the Bayonne Rotary Club held an awards breakfast to acknowledge students from the Bayonne public schools for their participation in and contribution to the Rotary International Water Wells Project.
The goal of this project is to provide clean drinking water to communities in developing countries. Bayonne Rotary President Silvana Buccianti reported that over the years, the Bayonne Rotary has funded water well projects in Africa, India, Pakistan, Jamaica and Haiti. This year, the funds will be directed to Namibia, Africa, which is one of the driest countries in the world. Bayonne Rotary will be partnering with the Rundu Rotary Club to provide a well at an orphanage that houses 220 children.
During her presentation, Superintendent of Schools and Rotarian Patricia McGeehan stated, “through the leadership and creativity of our students and the guidance of their moderators, more than $24,000 has been raised over the past five years for this life saving initiative. This year, the students raised over $6,000”. She added, “We actually teach our students how to care about one another and also to assume the responsibility to become better Bayonne citizens and leaders. We are all very proud of their accomplishments.”
Students tapped into their creative side for fundraising ideas, which included placing collection buckets near school water fountains as a reminder of how lucky they are to have such easy access to clean drinking water. Other fundraising activities included Penny Wars, Crazy Hat Day, Wacky Hair Day and Backwards Day.
“These students bring ideas to the table about how they can help their local and global community,” said Kristy Martin, Student Council district coordinator. “They take on the challenge of conveying that message to their fellow classmates and school population. That is quite an undertaking.”
The Rotary motto, “Service Above Self,” conveys the humanitarian spirit of the organization’s more than 1.2 million members. Strong fellowship among Rotarians and meaningful community and international service projects characterize Rotary worldwide.
To learn more about the Bayonne Rotary Club, call Janice Hall at (201) 232-8577. Visit www.bayonnerotary.com and “like” the Facebook page.
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