Susan Collins

By Elias Thomas, President, Sanford-Springvale Rotary Club

Senator Susan M. Collins will be the guest of honor at the Centennial Gala of the Sanford-Springvale Rotary Club on Sept. 16 at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport.

Final preparations are being made to transform a private hangar at the airport into a grand venue for the event, which will run from 5 to 9 pm. Admission is $50 per person, $100 per couple. The event includes a cash bar, a program, dinner, and dancing.

This is a celebration of our service to the community and the world. There is a lot to celebrate. In recent years, local Rotarians have:

Built a playground area at the adult education building
Built a meditation garden at the York County Cancer Care Center
Created Rotary Park in Springvale
Collected and distributed food and clothing through York County Shelter Programs
Rung bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettle project
Co-organized with Sanford Kiwanis Club a Christmas party for economically disadvantaged children
Contributed tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to graduating students from Sanford, Massabesic and Noble high schools
Honored students of the quarter at the Sanford Regional Technical Center
Sent several area tenth graders to leadership and team-building training through Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
Built an interpretive trail around Deering Pond
Installed several Little Free Libraries around the city

The club has also been heavily involved in international projects, often with other partners from other countries. Rotary members have:

Organized study-abroad exchanges for high school students
Immunized thousands of children in India below the age of 5 against polio
Built washing platforms and safe toilet and shower buildings for women and girls in a predominantly Muslim village
Raised funds and helped construct more than a dozen water catchment dams in dried-up riverbeds in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujerat in India. This year, Rotarians will help to construct a dam near the Indian city of Udaipur.

For additional information or to purchase tickets for the centennial event, contact rotary.ss.me@gmail.com.

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