Rotary Club & Goodfellows in Huron Township, MI.

Rotary is an international association of members who promote Service Above Self. Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

The Huron Township Rotary meets weekly for fellowship and interesting and informative programs dealing with topics of local and global importance. Membership is by invitation and reflects a wide section of community representation. Rotary has no religious or political affiliation.

Rotary is the foundation which each year provides some $60 million for international scholarships, cultural exchanges, and humanitarian projects large and small that improve the quality of life for millions of people.

In Huron Township the main fundraiser is an annual raffle of a brand new Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle and trailer. This raffle is one of the main attractions at the Applefest.

Through major donations and the sale of commemorative brick pavers, the group has funded the rehabilitation and rededication of the Veteran’s Monument in downtown New Boston.

The club also coordinates the annual Goodfellows drive for Huron Township. This effort services 100-150 families a year ensuring that there is no child without a Christmas in the community.

The group also has a newly formed Interact Club, a high school version of Rotary and they award 10-12 scholarships to graduates annually that amount to $7500 minimally.

They have chartered a Boy Scout troop and a Girl Scout troop, as well as the Outdoor Challenge program at the high school.

The Huron Township Rotary makes annual contributions to all school libraries and supports the public library.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it moves a township to come together annually to make sure that No Child is Without a Christmas. And as some find out, Goodfellows is an all-year-long event. From purchasing toys on sale in the summer, to knitting gloves, scarves and hats, there is always someone working for this cause. The Goodfellow effort is headed by Mrs. Linda Burke and Mrs. Helena Lilly.

Over the course of three days, the Goodfellows of Huron Township, sponsored by the HT Rotary, gathered with over 550 volunteers to provide food baskets for over 175 families and toys to more than 330 kids, within the township. It all starts out on the Saturday following Thanksgiving when 168 volunteers stand on corners on the outer limits of the township and sell Goodfellow papers for six hours. Last year more than $6000 was collected. This was added to the generous corporate and individual donations that were solicited by the Goodfellows prior to the basket distribution.

Volunteers came from Summit Academy schools, Renton Junior High's Junior National Honor Society, Outdoor Challenge, Boy Scouts, the CERT team in the township, the fire department, Rotarians and their families, and the 4-H Club. Everyone comes with a smile and a purpose; it becomes a reunion for those who have helped in the past. And it is always something to look forward to for next year.