Brown bag it with the Rotary

RUMFORD- As you drive by Brian's Bistro, 49 Franklin, the Hope Association and around the rotary in town, you notice that blue and gold wheel that reads Rotary International. You see that wheel at Black Mountain and in Dixfield during the summer road races. You hear it around town from fellow business members that they have a Rotary meeting, they have a Rotary function to attend.

Have you ever taken a moment to ask them what they do at Rotary?

There are several things Rotarians do in this area is raise money to benefit causes like scholarships for graduates of Mountain Valley and Dirigo High Schools, as well as Region 9. They donate to the Green Church food pantry, local libraries, the Hope Association, Boy and Girl Scouts, Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Rumford Hospital, Black Mountain of Maine, Chisholm Ski Club, River Valley Chamber of Commerce, Community Concepts, Rumford Group Homes, River Valley Growth Council, Community Concerts, the War Memorial, G.R.A.M.P.s lunch program at the Mexico Town Hall, the weatherization project, and local quilters making quilts for children undergoing surgery in Central and South America and Africa.

You may be wondering how they raise this money and fund the multiple projects they have going on.

One such way is the quarterly lobster lunch they offer area businesses to take part in. For just $8 a lunch, people around town enjoy a toasted lobster roll, a homemade brownie, a bag of chips and a can of soda. And get this, free delivery.

Four times a year, roughly 20 Rotarians gather in Hope Association's kitchen and prepare about 250 lobster lunches. The lobster is purchased from Deshaie's Lobster in Lewiston and then everything else is bought right in Rumford at Wal Mart of Hannaford.

The tasty brownie treats are made by Rotarians and when the lunches are all together in their brown bags, Rotarians deliver them free of charge to their respective customers.

The next time you're looking to help a local cause, maybe you would like to start brown bagging it with the Rotary during lobster lunch months.

For more information on how you can partake of a Maine lobster lunch, call Greg Trundy at 364-7225.

Brown bag it with the Rotary Photo:

Greg Trundy of the local Rumford Rotary club is seen here delivering the quarterly lobster lunches to Angela Calden and Linda Law at Franklin Savings Bank. (Times photo by Cherri Crockett)