On Jan. 4, 2022 The Rotary Club of Springfield (Downtown) donated $1,752.64 to purchase new shoes for students at Weaver Elementary. Initially, the civic organization had challenged its members to raise $300, for the club to then match. But its members stepped up to support students in a big way.
"This is why I love being a member of Rotary International and The Rotary Club of Springfield (Downtown)," said Matthew Suarez, Director of Membership. "We have been a longtime partner of Weaver Elementary School and have gotten to do some pretty great things with them in the past. But that was amazing."
At its January meeting, The Rotary Club of Springfield (Downtown) presented a check to Weaver's school community liaison, Dr. Nadia Wrosch, Weaver's School Community Liaison and Weaver Elementary, to provide quality shoes for students. Many of Weaver's students may not have appropriate shoes for the winter months, and many students walk to their neighborhood school. Appropriate shoes are essential, said Abby Glenn, Downtown Springfield Rotary Club Service Committee Co-Chair.
"For the past few months, The Rotary Club has been working on a special fundraising campaign for Weaver, our longtime education partner with Springfield Public Schools," said Glenn. "I attended a zoom presentation for community partners and learned that a lot of the students didn't have the appropriate shoes. Our goal of $300 to meet this need was blown out of the water, and today was filled with absolute joy! But in the next few months, I'll continue the Downtown Rotary's partnership to find more resources for Weaver Elementary, connecting with local nonprofits to ensure we maximize today's donation for Weaver students."
