FOR THE GREATER GOOD
Community service recognized at Rotary foundation event
@LaurenTheRecord on Twitter SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Local leaders were honored for community service Sunday at a Saratoga Springs Rotary Club gathering.
The Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation’s 18th annual Community Service Awards Brunch, held at the Saratoga Springs City Center, recognized the Saratoga Center for the Family, Wellspring executive director Maggie Fronk and longtime Rotarian Edward A. Lenz.
Hundreds of area supporters attended the event, which also serves as the foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year. With the money raised, the foundation assists area students to advance their education and training through its scholarship program.
This year, the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club awarded $70,000 in scholarships to 16 high school seniors attending schools within the Saratoga Springs City School District. Since its inception in 1997, the foundation has awarded more than $600,000 in college or advanced vocational scholarships to high school students from the greater Saratoga Springs area.
To help make this effort possible, the club and its supporters recognized others who serve the community. Fronk, who has served as Wellspring’s executive director since 2002, was honored for her work with vulnerable populations, including the mentally ill, individuals with HIV/AIDS, homeless families and domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
“Maggie is the heart of that organization,” said Mark Maker, who introduced Fronk.
“The work that I’ve done has been a gift,” Fronk said in accepting her award.
Rebecca Baldwin, executive director of Saratoga Center for the Family, accepted the Rotary’s award on behalf of her organization, which has been helping local children and families cope with abuse and other trauma for the past 40 years.
“It such a privilege to be part of this journey with all of you,” said Baldwin, who was named executive director earlier this year.
In a special presentation, the Rotary also recognized one of its own. Edward M. Lenz introduced his father during the ceremony, detailing the man’s decades-long commitment to both the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club and the city.
“For me, Rotary has been another family,” the elder Lenz said, humbled by the award.
In speaking about community service, his message was simple: “When we can help, we should help.”
For more information on the Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation, visit saratogaspringsscholarships.org.