Members of the Rotary Club of Oakland recently completed their annual Christmas Project helping families, children, and seniors in Garret County. Since its inception in the 1980s, it has been held each year, including during COVID. The project, funded with the proceeds from the Club’s annual French fry efforts, along with donations and other fundraisers, serves as a bright light during the holiday season for a wide variety of citizens in the community. This year, almost 200 children received gifts, after receiving 75 applications, which was an increase of 33 applications from 2023. The Club also sent or handed out 198 gift cards, with a combined value of almost $10,000, to local senior citizens as part of the project. These were often delivered as part of special Club get-togethers at various senior living centers throughout the County.
Longtime Rotarian Barbara Baker, who leads the Christmas Project, stated, “It is truly an honor & privilege to have served as the coordinator of the Annual Christmas Project for the past nine years. Having been an educator here for thirty-three years, it is a labor of love because I know that I am helping many of my former students and families in need. Although I coordinate it each year, it absolutely would not be possible without the help of so many individuals and local businesses. This includes not only Rotarians but also those organizations & businesses that provide a space for our Rotary Christmas trees and help as a pick-up and drop-off location.”
“Our great Rotary Club is known county-wide for our delicious French fries. While this is terrific, our organization is so much more. When one buys our fries at the annual Garrett County Fair, Autumn Glory Festival, or any other event, your purchase helps to fund the charity work that we do,” stated Baker. Club president Mike Tumbarello added, “This is a team effort that under Barbara’s leadership involves a number of Club members and that truly reflects Rotary’s motto, ‘Service Above Self.’ Our people came together during the busy holiday season to give their time, energy, and compassion to help make the holidays a better time for those served through this program. I want to thank all of our members that raised funds for this project, worked to complete the gift bags, attended the senior get-togethers, helped with the gift trees, and also those in the community that helped directly or indirectly with the project.”…