The Rotary Club of Frederick has an endowment fund at The Community Foundation of Frederick County valued at more than $1 million to commemorate its 100th anniversary of serving the local, national, and global communities. The announcement was made and a symbolic check presented to the community at the club’s centennial anniversary celebration at Harry Grove Stadium on October 7. Pictured L-R: Rotary Club of Frederick President Joanne McCoy and First Century Trust Fund Co-Chairs Phil Berkheimer and Charlie Nicodemus.
October 22, 2020 | Frederick, MD The Rotary Club of Frederick hosted a Centennial Summit on October 7, 2020 at Harry Grove Stadium to celebrate the club’s 100 years of service to the local, national, and international communities.
On October 7, approximately 75 of the club’s 200 members attended the Summit in-person, joined by Mayor Michael O’Connor, County Executive Jan Gardner, a delegation of Rotary officials from District 7620, and a group of Rotarians from Frederick’s other four clubs. An estimated 100 members, former members, and others also attended via video conferencing.
The highlight of the program was an announcement by Phil Berkheimer and Charlie Nicodemus, both longtime members and past presidents, that The Rotary Club of Frederick had exceeded the $1 million mark in its First Century Trust Fund. The Fund is an endowment created by combining several existing legacy funds at the Community Foundation with new cash and pledges from club members over the past 10 years. The proceeds from the Fund will be used at the discretion of the Club’s president and Board of Directors to fund projects that will better the lives of everyone in the Frederick community.
The celebration included the acceptance of proclamations from Mayor O’Connor and County Executive Gardner on behalf of the City and the County. Rotary Governor Jimmie Gorski brought congratulations on behalf of District 7620, and Rotary International President Holger Knaack sent videotaped greetings from his home in Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany.
Kate Moreland, founder of the club’s signature fundraising event, the Leprechaun Luau, and her Co-Chair of the event, Branden McGee, explained how the previous nine events had raised close to $500,000 – funds the club has invested in the community’s schools, healthcare facilities, and non-profit organizations., including the students in Frederick County’s Public Schools, Frederick Health’s Dental Clinic for uninsured and underinsured patients, and many area nonprofits including Blessings in a Backpack, Children of Incarcerated Parents, Spanish Speaking Communities of Maryland, Mission of Mercy and The Phoenix Foundation of Maryland.
“We feel fortunate to have been able to gather together in a safe, outdoor environment to celebrate this historic occasion,” said Club President Joanne McCoy. “We are proud of our past, dedicated to our present, and excited about our future. We look forward to putting our motto “Service Above Self” into action during our second century of service to Frederick.”
