Fonthill Rotary Club invests in the community

Partnering with the Town and the Library, the Fonthill Rotary Club is enhancing the lives of all Pelham residents.

At the north entrance of the Meridian Community Centre you’ll notice a tiny house, sitting atop a blue carpet, its racks brimming with books.

This is the Rotary Reading House.

A collaboration between the Pelham Library and the Fonthill Rotary Club, the Rotary Reading house offers activities and reading materials that will engage and inspire children in the community.

“Working on the library board has been great for me,” said Councillor Gary Accursi. “Rotary has been in the community for a long time and has delivered some wonderful services to the community, and this is another one.”

With a commitment to improving literacy, President of the Fonthill Rotary club, Mell Groom, says that sometimes the right fit comes along at the right time.

“We were very excited to be on board with it,” said Groom. “We’re all about partnerships, and we’re so happy to partner with the library to make this happen.”

Kirk Weaver, CEO of the Pelham Library, previously wrote about two of their board’s major themes: engagement and enrichment.

“For us, engagement means being active participants in the community,” he wrote. “Enrichment means providing opportunities for individual growth and learning. Through an exciting partnership with the Rotary Club of Fonthill and with the support of the Town, we have an opportunity to advance these two objectives in the new Meridian Community Centre.”
With members of Pelham Town Council, Rotary Club, and the Library in attendance to recognize the partnership and subsequent outcome of the Reading House, the Fonthill Rotary Club also announced a donation $25,000 to further increase the active and healthy lifestyle promoted by the community centre.

The donation allows for the installation of exercise equipment on the trails that run in, around, and through the area of the community centre.

“This will be a walking, cycling, active part of our community,” said Mayor Dave Augustyn. “Part of the trail is in and we’re completing the other pieces as we develop the area. Rotary has worked with the youth in our community including the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council and their own youth members; we certainly appreciate the ongoing commitment of Rotary in keeping our community walkable and active.”
As Rotarian Paul Snack noted, getting the kids involved in the process is a very important piece to the puzzle.

“The key thing is the kids and their involvement in the process at that age,” said Snack. “The design of the trail will accommodate everyone from parents with kids in strollers to the more mature athlete – it incorporates some type of physical and emotional health support for its users.

It is also hoped that those who utilize Wellspring Niagara’s resources and programs will also find use of the trail system and the various equipment, including benches, along the route.

A more formal announcement will be made this fall.