by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Fellowship was the main item on the agenda for the Rotary Club of Downtown this week. Members and guests traded their business suits and lunch at the Omni for golf shirts and a friendly 18 holes at Jacksonville Golf & Country Club during the Artis Gilmore-Rotary Golf Tournament sponsored by Jacksonville University.
All golfers kept score though and while there weren’t any losers at the tournament, the foursome of club Past President Jack Diamond, Clark Wiley, JU President Kerry Romesburg and Wayne Galloway carded a 63 for the low round of the day.
Derek Hall had the closest shot to the pin at 7 feet 9 inches on the 3rd hole.
Next week the club will be back at the Omni for the Rotary Club of Jacksonville Charity Foundation 2008-09 grant presentations.
This year, eight local organizations will be presented grants totaling $69,565: The Guardian Catholic Schools, daniel, the Salvation Army, Hubbard House, Angelwood, Barnabas International, the Women’s Help Center and Catholic Charities.
This year marks the first time The Guardian Catholic Schools has been selected by the club’s Foundation Grant Committee to receive support. Executive Director Jim Selzer said the $15,000 Rotary Foundation grant will be used to fund improvements for the library at St. Pius Catholic School on the Northside.
“We’ll be able to purchase new furniture and carpet as we double the size of the library,” he said. “We are extremely thankful for the grant. Very few people realize the impact service organizations have on our city. Jacksonville would look like Calcutta were it not for organizations like the Rotary Club of Jacksonville. It’s amazing. Not only do they raise the money, but then the members on the committee perform the due diligence to evaluate all the applications. It’s quite a commitment on the part of an impressive group of men and women.”
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