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Long Neck Rotary throws October birthday party at Oak Orchard Boys & Girls Club

November 21, 2017

Once again it was not business as usual Oct. 20 at the Oak Orchard Riverdale Boys & Girls Club. There were balloons, cake and juice drinks to celebrate the birthdays of eight children who were born in the month of October. The green-shirted Rotarians from the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club were on hand to present $25 Visa gift cards and balloons to the children, many of whom have never celebrated their birthday before.

"We are so grateful to have this partnership with the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club," said club Director Erica Kennedy.

Part of a district grant program procured by the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club to Celebrate the Lives of Youngsters at the Oak Orchard Boys & Girls Club, the program will run over eight months, covering the children with birthdays between July 2017 and June 2018. The first celebration in September included 30 children whose birthdays fell in July, August and September.

"Clubs adhere to strict budgets, so to have the community step in and help us recognize occasions like birthdays or holidays really helps us out as an organization and creates wonderful memories for our kids," said Millie Charnick, vice president of operations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware. "When kids feel the support of their community by having them present and engaged in the club, whether they are celebrating birthdays or helping with homework, it goes a long way."

Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club has long recognized the need to nurture and support children, to help them achieve the self-affirmation so many need. Members have worked with the Boys & Girls Club on an annual Pitch, Hit and Run Competition, and provide dictionaries annually to third-graders attending Long Neck Elementary School.

The Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club has developed this program with the belief that celebrating another person's uniqueness helps develop social and emotional learning, which is the cornerstone of maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. Judging by the smiles and laughter at the Oct. 20 event, it looks like the children at the party had special moments they can remember for some time to come.

"Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, but after spending an afternoon with these young people and watching their joy, the service feels more like a celebration," said Paulette Rappa, Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club president. "Rotary is about the relationships, and what better relationship to build than with the next generation."

Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club meets weekly for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., Tuesdays, at Ocean Grill II on Long Neck Road, Millsboro. Visitors are welcome.

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